English Language Learners Bring You the World, Volume 19 (2019)

English Language Learners

Bring You the World Essays, Stories & Cultural Insights

E女 જ Sİ‫ צ‬Vφ田TD Xİ I Nネ ‫ظ‬ G Ç ஓボ A C KMQ တ ね B R J ฆ Цㅊ ‫ ق‬P U F Z Hโ W ơ తㅠਗ Й ន ‫ خ‬ស O Y L

Volume 19, Spring 2019

English as a Second Language and Intensive English Programs Sponsored by Services and Activities Fees

English Language Learners Bring You the World

Essays, Stories & Cultural Insights

Volume 19

Spring 2019 English as a Second Language and Intensive English Departments Sponsored by Services and Activities Fees

2

Dear Reader,

Although the students in the English as a Second Language and Intensive English programs at South Puget Sound Community College come from all over the world, their common experiences and dedication to learning English bring them together. As teachers, we are honored to have students who are so caring and so interested in learning. We hope you draw as much inspiration from reading their stories as we have.

Over 130 students from 37 countries have shared their stories and essays here. The contributions are organized alphabetically by country of origin. Student biographies are listed in the About the Authors section at the end of the book.

Students of the following IE and ESL instructors contributed to this volume: Kristen Blegen-Bouyer Mary Cigliola Heather De Munn Janelle Garcia-Martinez Caroline Hobbs Andrea Long Kathy Miller Jodi Ruback Stephen Sadlier Heather Williams Julie Williamson

Editor: Heather De Munn Cover Illustration: Caroline Hobbs

A special thanks to Services and Activities Fees for sponsoring this publication.

Commenting on the diversity of people and beliefs that make up the United States, former U.S. President (1977-81) and 2002 Nobel Peace Prize Recipient Jimmy Carter said:

“We have become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic.�

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS

BANGLADESH.................................................................5 BOLIVIA..........................................................................5 BRAZIL............................................................................6 BURUNDI........................................................................7 CAMBODIA.....................................................................7 CHILE..............................................................................8 CHINA.............................................................................9 COLOMBIA....................................................................15 THE CONGO..................................................................19 CZECH REPUBLIC...........................................................19 ECUADOR......................................................................20 EL SALVADOR................................................................20 ETHIOPIA……..….............................................................21 GUATEMALA..................................................................22 HONDURAS....................................................................23 INDONESIA.....................................................................24 ITALY..............................................................................25 JAPAN............................................................................26 KENYA............................................................................31 KYRGYZSTAN..................................................................31 MEXICO..........................................................................32 MOROCCO......................................................................41 NEPAL.............................................................................41 PHILIPPINES....................................................................42 POLAND..........................................................................44 RUSSIA............................................................................44 SAUDI ARABIA................................................................46 SINGAPORE....................................................................47 SOMALIA........................................................................48 SOUTH KOREA................................................................48 TAIWAN.........................................................................53

4

THAILAND......................................................................54 TURKEY..........................................................................55 TURKMENISTAN.............................................................55 UKRAINE........................................................................56 UZBEKISTAN...................................................................58 VIETNAM........................................................................59

ABOUT THE AUTHORS...................................................66

5

BANGLADESH

BOLIVIA

MY LIFE IN THE USA

By Fanny Ortuste I am from Bolivia, a small country in South America. I came in 1976 on a tour. I visited Miami and Los Angeles, California. At that time, I discovered a beautiful city

BANGLADESH / BOLIVIA

MOVING TO THE UNITED STATES

By Antara There are lots of changes that have happened to my life since I moved to the United States. For this reason I have felt stress and faced a lot of unexpected consequences. After I moved to the USA I felt like I was in a different world. I have had to face lots of unexpected consequences - both negative and positive.

When I was in Bangladesh I thought this move is going to change my life but I didn’t think some unexpected good things were going to happen. For one thing, now I can speak English and I can communicate with people from different countries. I never expected that when I was in Bangladesh. Another good thing is I started my first job after I moved to the USA. That’s why I have money and I can buy whatever I want. I can save money for the future. And also I have learned to drive in the USA. Because of that I can save valuable time and don’t need to take a bus and wait for others. For example, when I first came to SPSCC, I walked one hour just because I didn’t know how to take a bus and couldn’t even talk to others for help. Whatever, I can drive right now.

Because of this move I had to face some negative consequences too. One unexpected problem was I couldn’t even do anything by myself. I always had to wait for someone to go out or if I had to buy something. The other problem was culture shock. I didn’t know anything about American culture, rules and regulations before I moved here. I had to start all over again. I didn’t expect that before. Another problem that has happened in my life is that I have been using the phone too much to communicate with friends and family since I moved to the US. Always using the phone, the internet, and the social media is slowing down my work. For this reason I am losing valuable time because I don’t have any productive things to do.

Everything has a bad side and good side. I think if I don’t face problems and hard times I never can learn everything nicely and I am still facing problem and learning. I want to say that overall it has been good since I moved to the U.S.

6 with many attractions and a lot of Spanish people. Since that time, I decided to come to live in the USA. The first thing I did was to look for a job. My first job was at the store Zodys. Then I went to study at Evans Adult School. My classes were in the morning from 8 to 12. My work was at Hollywood, my schedule was 4 to 10 pm. In 1984, I went to study at Southland College of Medical and Dental Careers for one year. It was very hard because I had to work and go to school. I lived in Los Angeles until 2016, then I had to move to this state because my daughter and her family live in Olympia. I do not work; I am retired. Now I want to learn English.

BRAZIL

FESTA DO DIVINO AND FESTA JUNINA Anonymous The Festa do Divino has its origin in Portugal and it is promoted by the Catholic church. It exists in states such as Minas Gerais, Goias, Bahia, Maranhao and Rio Grande do Sul, when they celebrate and represent a descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and the Virgen Maria. Depending on the place where it is celebrated, there are folk manifestations, processions, artistic presentations, and theatrical performances.

The Festa Junina Portugese origins too, and this is characteristic of the month of June and July. It is used to celebrate St. Antonio, St. JoĂŁo, St Pedro, and St Paulo. In Festa Junina, there are stalls with typical dances, like forro and the main attractions, the most important one is the wedding. I am not religious, but I love this month. There are a lot of parties, culture, and typical and special foods only during this month, dancing around the fire, etc.

MY STORY

By Giselle Brien My name is Giselle Brien, I'm from Brazil. I live in Olympia for 2 years. I'm married and I have two children.

I live here because I met my husband and we got married and made a family.

I’m happy here but I miss my parents, the weather and the food.

My great limitation of living here in this country is the longing for my family, my friends, the cold beer, the corner bar listening to the sertanejo, pagoda and dancing, the long holidays strolling in the places and making food with the family union, the human warmth of people, the tropical climate. This is my daily disappointment.

7

Maybe one day I'm going to visit my country and take my husband and my daughter to see Brazil. Here I'm realized, I have opportunities, I am happy and I try every day to improve the language more.

BURUNDI

CAMBODIA

MY HOMETOWN

By Mary Rovech I want to write about my hometown. My hometown’s name is Stung Trang. I miss my hometown because there are people selling things like fresh fruit, vegetables and fish, etc. Every morning, I heard a lot of people seeing and buying outdoor produce. That reminded me of when I was a child. I used to sell all of those things.

Now when I see people selling things outdoors it makes me want to go back to my hometown because I miss all of my sisters, brothers and friends. I hope to visit them soon.

I LOVE MY JOB

By Monika So My mom was a strong woman. In 2013 the doctor told her she had cancer.

When I came to the US in 2016, I studied to take care of mom at home. Mom was hurting every day and needed help with cooking and taking medicine. With my help, she should get care at home instead of at the hospital, but I did help her go to the hospital sometimes. I was able to keep my mom with me close for 6 years after she learned of her disease. Since losing her I started working to take care of a Cambodian man who lost his family and is very sad. He cannot sleep much, but I help him with his

BRAZIL / BURUNDI / CAMBODIA

TO VISIT MY FIANCE

By Jeanine Nzohabonayo One day and this is true, I went to see my fiancé and when I arrived at the door, I saw a dog and then I was running and I fell down and I was crying. After that, I was calling my fiancé and he was coming to take me. He was soothing me and he said “Sorry baby, sorry again, you will be ok, don’t worry.” Finally, he was lifting me and he kissed me. It was a very nice but complicated day for me.

8 home and I help drive him around. I am very happy taking care of people who need help. I love my job.

KHMER FOOD

By Likar Soem Khmer food is delicious and easy to find in Cambodia. My mom and my grandma used to cook Khmer traditional foods. My favorite foods are from the street market.

They are so delicious. I really miss them. I like to put the food on the leaves when I eat it. There are my favorite foods: nonbank, and chok, this food is made with rice noodles, shredded banana leaves, bean sprouts, cucumber, mint, basil and topped with green fish curry. Amlor kark is soup made from mixed vegetables and all kinds of green fruit, jack fruit, bananas, and papayas with either catfish or small pieces of cow meat. It goes with a lot of Khmer traditional ingredients. Khmer food tastes great and at home I can get it easily.

MY LIFE AND FAMILY

By Sophal Youk My name is Sophal. I’m from Cambodia and 6 years ago came in the United States. I and my family live in Olympia, Washington. I have two daughters and two grandsons. All my daughters have a job. I have a job and I like my job. In my work I have good friends.

I go study English on Tuesday and Thursday night in the spring quarter 2019 at South Puget Sound (Lacey).

I miss my country and my food. I want go visit at my country. My family likes to live in the USA.

CHILE

A NIGHT OF WORRY

By Erik Darvich One night my son wrote to me that he felt sick to his stomach. He was in Chile, but I was in the United States. His mother was with him and gave him medication to calm the pain, but it continued, and he began to vomit. Therefore, they went to the clinic, where they did an exploration of the stomach, and the gave him serum because he was dehydrated. After almost 2 hours, they decided to operate because his intestines were crushed. They operated quickly and, fortunately, everything went well. He had to be in the clinic for three days, eating very light. His mom was with

9

him all night, and I was away without being able to support him. I just had to wait for his status information. In conclusion, it is very strong to be away from your children, when you want to be close to them to meet any need.

CHINA

CAMBODIA / CHILE / CHINA

CULTURE SHOCK Anonymous There are a lot of differences between the US and my home country, for example weddings. If you are a bridegroom, you need to send a lot of money to the bride. And you need to have a house or apartment. Also the bride will buy a car, and then you can get married. But things are not really bought by themselves. In my home country, parents need to pay this for their children. Not only do they provide school until college graduation, but they also help them to buy a house, buy a car, hold a wedding, and take care of their baby.

But in the US everyone lives for themselves and lives the life they want. They have good government. So this is the reason why I came here, and the differences between my home country and the US.

THE BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN MY COUNTRY

By Lizhi An I think the best places to visit in China are the Great Wall of China and the Summer Palace Park. I think these are the best places to visit because they are very famous and amazing. Summer Palace Park is a great place to visit because it is very beautiful with lakes and ancient buildings. The Great Wall of China is a great place to visit because it is an amazing historic site. It is very long and took many years to build.

China is very proud of these places. If you ever visit China, please be sure to visit the Great Wall and Summer Palace Park. You will be impressed by these places.

U.S. AND CHINESE FAMILIES

By Kiki Fu I have been in the United States for almost four years. I find that there are many differences between the China and the U.S. The most important point is the family concept. In the United States, before the university, parents have some basic protection and obligations for their children. After going to college, the children can choose for themselves. However, there are consequences and the children will bear the burden. Parents are not responsible for giving you the aftermath. American

10 students must go to school and sometimes also work to make money to rent a house, pay utilities, go out with friends, buy groceries, and buy necessities for life. They seem happy, which makes Chinese students feel envious, but they ignore the important point. The consequences of doing what they want are their own responsibility.

Everything has to be borne by oneself. Our domestic children always take it for granted when parents give them money, and they suffer when they are forced to accept the wishes of their families. They complain that their families are unreasonable and force their will. They do not understand that if you want to be free, you have to pay for it yourself. If you want to be independent, you have to take responsibility for yourself.

THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY COUNTRY

By Shuang Fu I came to the United States six years ago. I like living in the United States, but there are some things I miss about my country. One thing I miss about my country is the food. I miss the street food like spicy hot pots and BBQ. I can’t forget the taste of food in China because it is so delicious. Another thing I miss about my country is the entertainment. I miss shopping for clothes, singing karaoke with friends, and going to the night market with my family. It was so much fun back in China. Last, I miss the warm weather in China. I don’t like to wear a heavy jacket all the time. And, I don’t like to get wet all of the time. Whenever I miss my country, I go to Vancouver, Canada because I can find a lot of Chinese food there. I enjoy living in the United States, but I hope to be able to visit my country soon so that I can see my sister and her family.

EXPRESSING DIFFERENT EMOTIONS

By Lilian Gao My name is Lilian Gao, I am married and I have 3 children. I came to the U.S. in 2007. When I came to the U.S.A, I did not know any English. Right now, I study English five days a week. This is my third quarter studying English at SPSCC. I live in Olympia.

There are several differences between Chinese and American parents. In the U.S. most American parents are always talking to their children and telling them they love them. They care about them very much. Every day before going to bed and every day in the morning they will say the same thing: “I love you, I miss you”. It is a common thing for American parents. They express their love for their children through words and actions every day. In China it is rare to hear parent say “I love you, I miss you” to their children. They are not used to expressing their love for their children and they do not come into body contact. (hugging, kissing). Now I say to my children every day,

11

CHINA

“I love you, I miss you”, because I live in the U.S.A. In addition, American parent like their children to go outside to play because they like their children to experience nature and breathe fresh air. Chinese parent do not really like their children to go outside because they are worried about injuries. They only make children study, but both parents feel the same way: they love their children, and they all want their children to live better!

BRAVE HEART

By Xiaoshan Ji When I first came to the United States, everything was very novel to me. The air here is very fresh, and there are many tall trees standing by the road. I feel like I am in the forest. The crisp sound of the birds can be heard from time to time in the distance. There are a variety of foods here and there are many differences compared to China. Everything was great at first, but I quickly became bored. I miss China and my hometown. My friends and relatives are there. Although the days in my home are very ordinary, we are very happy. I have no friends in the United States. I am eager to speak the language of my own country. I feel that there is an irreparable gap in my heart. Loneliness and sadness occupy my brain. I look very calm on the surface, but I always want to cry. Whenever I think of the time with my family, it is even more sad. However, when I found out that my classmates were trying their best to study and live, I realized that I had to cheer up. We can’t always stay where we are. It is difficult to be alone in a foreign country, but it is also an opportunity and a challenge.

I need to have a brave heart. I should be brave enough to face difficulties. Evading can’t solve the problem and it will make things worse. I will try my best to become brave and win the future I want.

MY FAVORITE JOB

By Liumei Lin There is a special place I worked in Foshan of China that I will never forget. It is a fun place. There were many different machine games for children and adults. Some games were raffles, some machines had tickets. If you won the game, you could get tickets in exchange for something. There also was one music machine that could play music. When you put the game coin into the machine it would play music. If you wanted to continue playing the music, you needed to put more game coins in the music machine. The music machine had a lot of music inside, and you could choose which music you wanted to play. I really loved that music machine because I could work and listen to music. My job was to manage the warehouse and buy the goods.

Once a week I had to get the goods, and I had to take inventory at the end of every

12 month. Although sometimes it was hard work, I loved this job because I learned a lot from my experience and met a lot of friends.

MY APRIL FOOL’S DAY

By Wei Sato He was my friend, and we used to hang out on the weekends. On April Fool’s Day in 2008, he texted me, “I like you. Can you fall in love with me?” I couldn’t believe it. I ran over to my best friend’s house and showed her the message because I wasn’t sure it wasn’t a prank. She said, “You should try!” I didn’t know. I was so nervous.

After five minutes, I thought, “Ok, maybe I can try.” Then I replied by text and wrote “Yes, I can.” Now, he is my husband.

BEING A FOREIGNER IN THE U.S.

By Nick Wang My name is Nick, and I come from a town in China called Putian. There are many famous tourist attractions in Putian. I graduated from an International High School in 2018. I came to the U.S when I was 17 years old.

When I came to the U.S, I came to study at a university or college. I feel so strange. Maybe it’s because I am a little shy, and Americans are so enthusiastic, it also makes me feel extremely unaccustomed. But now, I have adapted more. I am a foreigner living here without my family, and I can do a lot of things I couldn’t do before I came here, for example cooking by myself, washing clothes, traveling without family and many things.

I am a foreigner in the U.S, and I have learned to be outgoing and lots of things.

THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY COUNTRY

By Xun Wang I came to the United States three years ago. I like living in the United States, but there are some things I miss about my country. One thing I miss about my country is my family supporting me all the time. I call them three times a week. Another thing I miss about my country is Qing Dao beer from my hometown. You can find this beer in American markets. I really enjoy living in the United States, but I hope to visit my country soon so that I can drink beer with my friends.

US LAW VS. CHINESE LAW

By Ying Yan One day last month, I visited my friend’s house. She told me that her husband was taken to the jail by the police. I was so surprised. I asked her what happened.

13

CHINA

She said that they had quarreled the day before when I came to visit her. She wanted to go out, but her husband stopped her from letting her go out. She wanted to call the 911, but her husband threw her phone away. Her neighbor called the police, and the police took her husband away. I am so surprised that the laws of the United States are so strict and that women’s rights are protected in Washington State. And so was she. She told me the same thing happened before but in China. She said once she and her husband had quarreled on the road. They had a loud voice and several police officers stood on the opposite side, but the police only looked at them curiously and then walked away. That’s a big difference. The laws of the United States are very strict, but this is good for people. Everyone obeys the rules of law and there will be no more crimes.

LEARNING MORE MAKES ME FEEL BETTER

By Ai Hui Yang I came from Fu Jian in south of China. When I first came to the United States, everything for me was new. I didn’t understand what other people said. I felt bad.

But I had a best friend Lin Yan. She talked to me, “Don’t be shy. Learn more and speak louder. You will get much better.” Yes, I tried to watch TV every day and more speak and listen. In 2017 I came to South Puget Sound Community College ESL class. My speaking and listening have been getting better. I passed my citizen interview. I love in the U.S. There is a lot of things I like to learn. My dream is to one day speak very nice English.

MOVING TO THE U.S.

By GuangHong Zhang Moving to the United Stated as an immigrant is a huge change for me. This change can cause unexpected consequences, good and bad. For me, the initial stage of this change brought me a lot of pressure and inadaptation. But as time went on, I got used to the life here.

In order to better adapt to the life in America, for one thing I must improve my English skills. I came to SPSCC to study as a full-time student. Learning English enriches my life and makes me get better every day. My English reading, writing, and listening has been improved. The improvement has caused me not to feel stress when shopping and going out to eat because I can speak English and read the menu to find what I need. Another thing is that America is a multiracial and multi-cultural country; here I can learn and explore the cultures of different countries. People respect each other and live in harmony. The cultural and arts festival at Saint Martin’s University every year is very interesting to attend. During this event the different cultural

14 opportunities have broadened my horizons. Americans like nature very much; there is not much artificial decoration in the landscape. I enjoy nature and like to go fishing, climbing, and camping with family and friends. There are many outdoor activities to experience.

On the other hand, my separation from my family and friend often makes me sad; I always miss them so much. Even though I use the internet to contact my family, we can’t enjoy time together. The other problem is that it is hard to find a job I like.

Interviewers prefer candidates with American work experience and American education background. This makes me lose confidence. One of big challenges is eating the food. My eating habit is to eat spicy and sour food. But in the USA most food is sweet. I have to cook food at home all the time and don’t eat out often.

Although there are a few negative factors, I like America and I like American culture. I am free to express my views on things. I am happy to live in this great country.

CHINESE RED POCKET

By Junfen Zhang Every year the Chinese New Year tradition is for parents or older people to give children money inside a red pocket. On Chinese New Year’s Eve, parents will prepare a red envelope and put it in their children’s pockets in the clothes they will wear the next day. When they get dressed, they will find the envelope with money. In China we call this Yesui Qian, which means “ghost money.” Those who give red envelopes wish another a safe and peaceful year. When you are married, you have to give young relatives red envelopes. When you receive a red envelope, you should say thank you and say “gong xi fa cai.” This is a lucky word. There are no rules about how much you should put in the envelope. It depends on your relationship. Also, if you are rich, you can give more. When the New Year comes, the kids are very happy because they can receive lucky money.

MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL

By Liang Zheng Mid-Autumn Festival is a statutory holiday in China. It’s the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar every year, ranging from late September to early October. Autumn is the harvest season. Mid-autumn also has a full moon. It's said that the moon is the brightest and roundest on this day. We get together to celebrate.

People prepare all kinds of food, including moon-cakes and fresh fruits. Mooncakes are a special food for this day. It has been a fashion to make moon-cakes by

15

hand. We can choose the favorite fillings, and even make different patterns on the cake.

After dinner, people watch the full moon with their families or friends, enjoy the delicious foods, and tell stories about it in their backyards. There are many stories about Mid-Autumn Festival. The story between Chang’e and archer Houyi is wellknown among people.

In the evening, various activities will be held, such as lantern displays, performances, and shows. People appreciate the colorful lanterns and guess the riddles. The traditional riddles are written on the lantern with Chinese literary and historical references.

People look forward to Mid-Autumn Festival every year. The full moon is the symbol of family reunion. Thus on this day people make every effort to come from far and wide to join a family dinner. People share food and happiness with others.

COLOMBIA

MY LIFE HAS A PURPOSE AND MEANING

By Carolina Easter Tellez I am a Colombian woman living in a foreign country where English is not my first language. Colombia is a beautiful country with an enviable climate. Wonderful forests, beaches, rare species of plants and animals. Colombia is the country where the coffee is part of its national identity and important characters like Fernando Botero, Ivan Ramiro Cordoba, Shakira, Falcao, James Rodriguez and Gabriel Garcia Marquez make my country recognized around the world. However, Colombia, with its political and economic situation, is a difficult place to live. Unemployment and lack of opportunities have caused us to make decisions and look for new opportunities far away from home. This is why I moved to US. In a far off land I found that I had so much independence and better opportunities to grow up unlike my home town. Although I was always thinking about my family, my friends, the food in a few words my identity my culture. One of the things that worried me about living in the U.S. was finding a job to help my family.

One day in the U.S. I woke up and I told myself that it was time to leave my fear in the past and find the balance in me. From that moment I just remembered the advice my parents told me, “My actions make a difference.” In fact, I started to be more social and I give my energy to learn the English. Step by step I could reach my goals. In that transition I found that while being a volunteer in U.S., I could learn about

CHINA / COLOMBIA

16 the different experiences of others and most importantly that I am not alone. I notice that my life has a purpose and meaning.

COLOMBIA

By Natalia Florez I am a proud girl from my country, Colombia. I love to represent the joy and the love in my country to others. I always think to invite my friends from others places to know my country and teach them how beautiful it is and all the good it has; this has changed the image that a lot of people have.

In Colombia we have beautiful places with different environments and my favorite places are outside. I can't choose just one place as my favorite because I have many. Each part in Colombia is unique and different and we have many cultures that make us very different and interesting. I just want you to know a little more about my beautiful and lovely land Colombia.

We have desert attractions, my favorite is in Villa de Leyva which is a very touristic place where we can find fossils, too. But if you prefer the beach, we have many beaches of the Caribbean such as the Tayrona. We also have a beautiful island San Andres with an ocean with 7 colors. We also have a river with 7 colors. Colombia is a country full of nature, animals and colors, and we also have the Amazon, which is a beautiful jungle full of magical adventures, mountains and the mountain range ยกOh my Sierra Nevada!, surrounding each part of our country, where we find many stories in the middle of these mountains. It hides treasures that few know. Of course we find delicious things like Maracuya which is a fruit and something more delicious that surely many of you drink every morning is the Colombian coffee. It is one of the most famous coffees in the world. Colombia is a country that you will never stop discovering. It is a place that you can see things that you had never seen in other places. There are sunsets that you won't be able to explain the beauty. I get excited speaking about my country.

Many people have told me they don't like nature, but don't worry because we have beautiful and big cities where you can also find joy, parties and food. We love to sing, and we love to dance. It doesn't matter the place. Come to know my country, my different cultures, and to see the beautiful and many colors surrounding Colombia. Cheer up dancing, singing in the middle of the street. I invite you to try the different meals in each region of the country, to get involved in each culture and fall in love of each corner. Maybe you will find a Colombian girl. Many people say that they are beautiful, and they are. So, come to Colombia where my home is your home ยกColombia la casa!

17

COLOMBIA

EASTER

By Sary Lopez Easter is celebrated in Colombia every year by Catholic and Christian people.

This is celebrated between March 22 and April 25. During these days, people commemorate the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Cleaning and preparing the house are done first because in those days people are visited by and visit relatives and friends. Second, delicious and traditional dishes are prepared for this holiday. Fish, chicken, pork, and turkey are stewed, baked, fried, and steamed with beans and potatoes. The belief of people is that they cannot eat beef on Thursday and Friday. One popular dish that people make is red beans, with pig’s feet, accompanied by white rice, fried plantain and salad. This is eaten on Thursday, and on Friday people eat fish. Chicken or turkey is eaten on Saturday and Sunday. During Thursday and Friday people go to Church in the morning or in the afternoon. Prayers are made by believers waiting for forgiveness for sins committed. Churches in the evening perform representations of the passion of Christ making a tour of the neighborhoods, and believers march behind. The name that has been given to this event is “procession.” New clothes are worn on Sunday by most of the people as a sign of rejoicing for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is also customary to share food with each person that visits the house during the day.

HOW MY LIFE CHANGED

By Isaid Orozco My name is Isaid Orozco. I’m from Santa Marta, a city on the Caribbean Sea in Colombia. It’s a busy port and it was also the first Spanish settlement over five hundred years ago. This city has delicious food and beautiful beaches. It also has a very big mountain called Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta which is a good destination.

I’m from a big family of three brothers and two sisters. I grew up very close to my grandfather who worked on a farm. I learned many things from him. Many people and teachers have helped me to see my potential. I studied hard at the University to be an International Human Rights lawyer and now I’m learning English in the United States.

My life changed when I arrived in the United States from Colombia. First, I was very surprised how different life was in the United States. The education is much better here. For example, the use of technology and the books in the library are wonderful. In addition, there are more opportunities for scholarships. I was also surprised there were many so many people from different cultures like China, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Italy, Colombia and Spain. Second, I had many difficulties when I first came here. The most difficult obstacle for me was the language differences. This

18 made me feel isolated. I was away from family and friends. The change of climate affected me greatly. I was homesick. Thirdly, I miss many things about Colombia. I especially miss the food, the people, the climate and the University life. Lastly, I have become a much better student in the United States. I’m better organized with an agenda, schedule, and assignment notebook. I make more efficient use of my time and I do exercise to keep myself healthy.

THINGS THAT SURPRISED ME ABOUT THE UNITED STATES

By Ascencion Perilla I came to the United States five years ago. When I first came to the United States, I was surprised by many things. One of the things that surprised me was Mount Rainier. I was surprised by the mountain because it is big, beautiful, and covered with snow. Another thing that surprised me was the spring season. I saw so many flowers that I never saw before. Finally, I was surprised by the birds because they were so colorful especially the blue birds and hummingbirds. It took some time, but now I am used to seeing these things and they don’t surprise me anymore.

MY CHILDHOOD ON THE PACIFIC COAST, COLOMBIA

By Patricia Torres In Colombia, I had a very happy childhood and mostly because I had a very close relationship with my family. I have many memories of beautiful places spending time with my parents, brothers, aunties, cousins and the whole family. However, I remember with immense happiness the times we spent on the Micay River on the Pacific Coast of Colombia.

When I was a young child, I loved to hear my parents tell me “Let’s go to the river!” I was very excited, because I knew that we were going to spend a really fun time together. Our family parties were usually on Sunday when my parents, brothers, cousins and I met at the river. We went to the river often, but every time it was just as exciting as the first.

The Micay River is a majestic waterway. I remember myself sitting on the river bank, observing its beautiful crystalline green water in which many colored fishes were swimming. I also remember gigantic jungle trees and immensely tall palm trees that in my childhood imagination seemed to reach to heaven. Some of the palm trees grew sideways and the branches grew down to the sand. I always used to sit under these palms trees to protect myself from the intense sun, as the trees swayed over my head and made noises in the wind.

It was such fun spending this time with my brothers and cousins. The girls did gymnastics on the soft white sand beaches while the boys threw the smooth rounded

19

THE CONGO

THE REASONS I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES

By Janet Manguna I came to the United States two years ago. I came to the United States because there was a lot of conflict in my country. People were dying. My family was told that we could not stay in our house anymore. There was much danger like killing and shooting. And, our homes were set on fire. We came to the United States to be safe and have better opportunities. I like living in the United States very much, but the language is hard.

CZECH REPUBLIC

PRAGUE METRONOME

By Eliska Holzbachova I lived in Prague for 20 years, that means I have more than one favorite place which makes me happy. If I really have to choose one, it is probably Prague Metronome. Prague Metronome is situated in a center of city in Letna park, and overlooking Vltava river and the old city center. On the other side you can see lots of trees and green places through the park. At the end of Letna park you can find my second favorite place which is Letna stadium. It is a home stadium of Sparta Prague, my favorite soccer team.

Prague Metronome is different during every season of a year but makes me happy every day. Most of the days is calm, and I am coming there to think about difficult situation or just to dream about future. It is possible to do lot of activities there too. In a winter, kids go sledging; spring is season of blossoming trees; summer

COLOMBIA / THE CONGO / CZECH REPUBLIC

stones jumping across the river. We would also have swimming and running competitions, racing up and down the beach, while Mom, Dad and the other adults prepared fresh fish for all of us over a fire. I can still remember the delicious smell of the fish and fried plantains that my family caught from the river and harvested from the jungle to cook for the family reunion.

I remember that our family day together ended with a beautiful and colorful sunset that all of us enjoyed together before returning home. We all returned home very tired. We were ready to go to sleep and start the next school day with lots of energy and hope that we returned the next Sunday.

20 is full of tourists, skaters and sun bathers; and fall is the best. Everything is so colorful and calm again. The busiest times are over, and I can watch my city without being disturb. This place makes me really happy.

ECUADOR

MY STORY OF LOVE

By Mariuxi Jiménez I thought it was a good idea to talk to someone similar to me, someone passionate about book, about art, culture, music and love. Then one day that I do not want to ever forget, I read: “Hello, how are you, I am Jeff” in a WhatsApp message for me, when I saw him in his profile picture I fell madly in love. The months passed and everything began to move quickly.

One day we decided it was time to see each other personally and that day arrived. Exactly on April 16, 2018, I said: “Wow it is exactly how I had imagined it.”

His smile gave me peace. Having met him that day was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. So, we confirmed that our love was true, and we were just both destined for this.

The next thing that would come would be the best, a tour of the paradisiacal Galapagos Islands, adventures by the volcanoes Cotopaxi and Chimborazo, one of the highest in Ecuador. I think the wonderful landscapes of my country Ecuador was the perfect place to write this love story.

Now I am happily married and living here with him. One day he said to me: “I like your perfume; you smell like the love of my life.”

I can only say that love breaks any barrier and every minute of being here was worth it…

EL SALVADOR

THE PATRON FESTIVITIES OF MEJICANOS CITY

By Heidi Calderon I am from Mejicanos City, El Salvador. On August 15th each year, we celebrate the Patron Festivities of my city. The Patron Festivities last around eight days and these days are more special than other festivities. Also, the government closes all the main streets because they prepare a “Musical Dance” for the community. Many national orchestras go to my city and sing songs from 7pm-4am. They sing and play

21

ETHIOPIA

MY LIFE IN AMERICA

By Abinet Negash I was born in Ethiopia. I lived in Ethiopia for 20 years. I lived with my grandma, mom, 4 sisters and 2 brothers. I am the oldest. I had a job driving a small truck. I studied drama. I played soccer and watched TV. In my country, it is hard to make money. My dad won the visa lottery and came to America in 2000. In 2014 I came to America. A lot of things were different. Some things were too much traffic and noise.

My big problem was I didn’t understand English. After one year I got a job, made friends, and got confidence. This changed my life. After 6 years, I have a family, a baby, a license and a car. I live in Olympia, it doesn’t have too much noise and traffic.

ECUADOR / EL SALVADOR / ETHIOPIA

music all night. The people dance all night too. People usually eat pupusas, tamales, and bread with chicken. These are traditional foods in my country. We drink atole or water and some people drink beer. We also have games for children and you can go with your family and enjoy. It is great!

THE MAJOR WEEK IN EL SALVADOR

By Yasny Mejia I have a story of my country. Every year in April all people celebrate the Major Week; it is a week of religious events.

In this time, many people make many carpets made of salt, seeds, leaves with different colors, in the main streets of the city.

Many people also cook delicious meals of seafoods. It’s also very visited by tourists to enjoy our beautiful places such as beaches and all events in this week.

My country that I love: EL SALVADOR!

IMPORTANT CROPS IN EL SALVADOR

By Eduardo Reyes El Salvador has two important crops. These are planted in winter. The first is corn, which is planted at the beginning of winter. The second one is the bean. This is planted at the end of the winter, because the bean doesn’t need so much water.

Both are collected when the winter is over. Corn and beans are used so well to make a dish typical of El Salvador called pupusas.

22 I am learning English. I have more confidence. I love this country because we have more freedom and choices. My life is good now.

GUATEMALA

MY LIFE IN TWO COUNTRIES

By Rosa Esteban I went to Guatemala when I was 2 years old. I lived there for about 15 years, and I didn’t know that I was born in the U.S.A. In Guatemala I started school at 6 years old, I had learned how to read, write and do many things. In Guatemala we wear a typical dress. In the school we also wear uniforms. We have traditional customs; like at Christmas we make tamales with our family. My brothers and I used to light fireworks at night, and it was fun. On Day of the Dead (Dia de Los Muertos) we put offerings in an altar, like fruits, food, bread and a typical drink called atol de elote and we decorate the altar with flowers and colored paper. We celebrate Holy week too, this is a week before Easter, and in that time we share bread with the family and neighbors accompanied by sweet chilacayote and atol negro.

After I lived for 14 to 15 years in Guatemala I came back to the U.S.A in 2014 with my sister. I left my family and now I lived with my dad and my sister in the U.S.A. I also started school in 9th grade. It was hard because I didn’t know how to speak in English. Besides, I missed my family, because I had never been separated from them.

It was also a new culture for me with a different language and lifestyle. Everything was new for me. In 2018 I graduated from high school, but I didn’t learn too much because they translated all of the homework. So, I decided to keep studying at SPSCC to improve my English. In the future I would like to get a career.

TRADITIONAL PARTY

By Miriam Matias-Pablo On the last day of October, some people from my town go to buy horses far away from my town. Only those who have money or who come from the United States go to buy them. Then, they bring them back on November 1st and they have a horse race. The party lasts for three days. They start the last day of October and on November 2nd, they eat lunch in the rich people’s houses. They invite all their family and friends. The bad thing is someone always dies during the horse races because when the horse runs, some people fall off and die at once.

23

HONDURAS

MOVING TO THE U.S.A.

By Cristina M. Elvir The United States is one of the most important countries in the world. This is a country that offers different opportunities to have a better life, especially for immigrants because the United States is a country of immigrants. But some American people think we are a burden to them. I have found that moving to the United States has had unexpected positive and negative consequences.

Moving to the United States has had positive consequences. First, they have a different culture. For example, they have excellent parades and celebrate with family.

This is very special for me because I can understand their culture. Second, the people are amazing and gentle. Americans always say “Thank you” for everything, they always smile and are very respectful with everybody. Also, the U.S.A has wonderful places for entertainment like beaches, zoos, casinos, big hotels and they have multicultural food. Another good thing is that the U.S.A is a safe place. I go wherever I want because nothing bad happens, you can stay alone at home and you can feel confident. This is a very safe place.

I have also had the negative consequences since I moved to the U.S.A. I left my family and I miss them a lot. That is terrible because sometimes I feel very depressed.

It is not easy to live in the U.S.A without family. A second problem is the health care insurance is so expensive. I need to pay a lot money for my family’s insurance. I think

GUATEMALA / HONDURAS

EASTER IN MY COUNTRY

By Mario Tomas-Gaspar Easter is an important holiday in Guatemala. In my country people walk on the street every Friday in Lent. The people go out in a procession in the streets. Everyone in my country respects Easter. My brother does not work on Easter. On Easter people have specific foods. My family does not eat meat like chicken or beef on Easter. In Guatemala we respect and celebrate the Easter holiday.

MY PARENTS

By Nicolas Domingo Tomas-Pedro My parents are good people. My father works in landscaping. He does a good job. My mother cooks chicken for dinner. She cooks the chicken by frying it. They help other families. They help my cousins, nephews, neighbors. My parents are good and they do all this with pleasure.

24 this is not good for me because I need to find money to cover this insurance. The big problem is that if I do not pay, they fine me for not doing it. Another unexpected problem that I have is with communication because some people don’t understand me when I talk. But I am trying to communicate more fluently.

Finally, I’m sure moving go the United States is the best decision that I made because I know beautiful people, places, and many more. I left my family and I have problems with insurance but I think if I have a job I can resolve my problems. I feel so proud to live in the U.S.A and I like the culture in this beautiful country.

THE DREAMER

By Xavier Mejia Hello my name is Xavier. I am from Honduras. My family lives in Honduras. My mom lives in Honduras. I have one brother in USA. He is 40 years old. I lived in Olympia WA for 12 years. I have family in the USA: my wife and my son. I have a job in construction. My favorite hobby is play soccer. I living here for long time. I like the USA because I have a good life. I love this place because it is very safe.

MY LIFE

By Celia Ponce Hello, my name is Celia Ponce. I’m from Honduras. I have 23 years old. I study Psychology course the three years of four. I have three months of living in this country. It has been a very difficult change for me, new culture, new language. It was difficult because it’s the first time that I’ve lived with my dad and I did not know how things were going. Thank God everything went very well. I plan to return to my country to finish my university and return to live here definitively.

INDONESIA

MOVING TO THE UNITED STATES

By Cindy Constantia Moving from one place to another place isn’t going to be easy. It is a big change, especially moving from one country to another country. These changes can have lots of adjustments about culture, language, and weather. Most of the changes have some unexpected consequences that we need to face. Moving to the United States has had positive and negative consequences for us as immigrants.

Moving to the United States has some positive consequences, especially for some people who lived in a developing country before. For one thing, we can get a

25

ITALY

EASTER IN ITALY

By Maria Chiara Dal Pozzo Easter in Italy is celebrated a little differently from how it is celebrated in American culture. For example, during this holiday all schools are closed for a week of break and at the beginning and at the end of Sunday everyone is wished “Happy Easter”. The most important days of the holiday are Sunday and Monday but Thursday, Friday and Saturday are important in another way.

The first thing that you do on Sunday morning is going to the church, where the resurrection of Christ is celebrated. After you go home there is all the preparation for the lunch with parents. For example, in my family almost every year for the lunch we meet in my house and this means that my mum, my grandma, and I prepare all the food for the lunch. Most of the time you are going to prepare some typical dishes and typical desserts like mascarpone, tiramisu, and others. After lunch, the chocolate eggs with the surprise inside are opened by the kids. Most of the time the chocolate

HONDURAS / INDONESIA / ITALY

better life in the United States because the rules and the regulations work in a really organized and systemized way. So many places in the United States are clean and have a fresh air because there is a lack of pollution. Another good thing is that makes us to be more independent. Locals are used to doing chores, taking care of their kids, and fixing things by themselves without helpers or maids. That habit makes us to be more independent.

Moving to the United States has some negative consequences as well. One unexpected problem is homesickness. We’re going to miss our hometown, family, and signature food from our countries, especially when we’re separated from our families. It’s depressing! The other problem is that of improving English. To improve our English, we can take an ESL class. Taking an ESL class helps us to build our confidence because we understand more about English. For some people who aren’t used to speaking and listening, English is going to be the most difficult thing that we need to face. Listening carefully when people talk to us and speaking with proper grammar and making a conversation with others are part of our struggles. So, improving English isn’t an easy thing but we need to be able to communicate with others because English is the primary language that used in the United States.

Overall, moving to the United States makes us to be better. We can build good character because of the environments, habits, and cultures. It is the hardest decision that I’ve made but I’ve never regretted moving to the United States.

26 eggs are bought a few weeks before by the parents and you need to wait until Sunday to open them. In Italy we don’t do the Easter egg hunt, we know that it is done here only because we saw it in the movies.

There is a saying in Italy that is “Natale con I tuoi, Pasquetta con chi vuoi” which means “Christmas with your family, Easter Monday with whomever you want” because we celebrated Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Easter is celebrated with the family and the parents, but Easter Monday you can go out with your friends. Most of the times when you have reached a certain age your parents let you go out and take a trip with your friends but if you are in middle school probably they let you go out around the city during the afternoon and not more. For example, my big brother was not with us last Easter Monday because he is big enough to go out all day with his friends. Usually on Monday you can go to the mountain or the beach or maybe take a picnic in the fields near your home or in the parks because we have a lot of countryside near the city.

The Easter break starts on Thursday because Christians start the preparation for the resurrection of Christ. For example, the days are called Holy Thursday, Holy Friday, and Holy Saturday and are all days of preparation for Sunday. On Holy Thursday there is the religious function of the last supper; on Holy Friday there is the religious function of the passion and the death and on Holy Saturday there is the religious function of the resurrection like on Sunday.

In conclusion, this is what most the people do in Italy for Easter. I hope that I have given you enough information about it and that you have discovered something new.

JAPAN

JAPANESE FEELINGS ABOUT AMERICAN CULTURE

By Kohta Hayama The cultures of Japan and the United States are very different. First I felt the difference about food. Japanese cooking is very delicate. Therefore, the taste can be soft and delicate. On the other hand, American food is very easy, but its taste is very strong. The amount of food served is too much, so American people take leftover food home. Japanese people don’t take out leftovers because they are served smaller portions. The second thing is language. I noticed the difference in the composition of sentences. For example, “Watashi wa hon wo yomimasu” translates in English to “I am book to reading.” What is different between the two sentences? The difference is grammar. English uses subject, verb, object. It is hard for us to memorize English

27

JAPAN

grammar. The USA and Japan have a good relationship, but cultures are very different.

The differences make it very interesting and pleasant for me to visit the USA.

EXPECTATION AND REALITY

By Shota Inoue Have you ever been interested in learning other cultures? According to UNESCO statistics, more than four million people are studying abroad in many countries. By studying abroad, it is possible to learn other cultures. Studying abroad has big positive and negative consequences; culture can increase unexpected knowledge, and culture can disappoint people.

First of all, it is possible for people who study abroad to know other countries' cultures, in addition to the country where people study abroad. For instance, I can learn Vietnamese culture through living in the same house with the Vietnamese roommates. I learned how to come in contact with people. Every culture has different rules and habits, so I can treat how to think about other cultures. For example, when I first introduce myself to a person, I think about the other culture. It is really good to prepare to come in contact with foreign people after I graduate the college. Not only am I learning the culture of the country that I study abroad, I can unexpectedly learn other cultures.

The negative unexpected consequence is that it is hard to get used to living in another culture. For example, it is hard to get used to food. I thought I can get used to food culture in the U.S, but I cannot used to it in the U.S. yet. I often miss Japanese food so much. Moreover, hanging out with friends is also an unexpected change because of the car culture. For instance, if people in the U.S. don't have a car, it is hard to go out. In Japan, it is easy to go out without a car because the transportation is maintained everywhere. These unexpected changes make me stressed.

In conclusion, studying abroad overall has been a good experience in my life because even though unexpected changes make stress and depression, I can understand that studying abroad is significant for as I look to my future.

MANGA

By Taiga Kasugai Have you ever heard of Dragonball? Japan has an interesting culture around comic books. We have comics that anyone from adults to children can enjoy. These are called “Manga.� Manga is part of Japanese culture and it was created in Japan.

The first time a Manga was written was about 800 years ago. The name of one Manga is Choju Jinbutsu Giga (caricatures of frolicking birds, animals and humans). By the way do you know who writes the Manga? It is written by Mangaka (Manga artists).

28 Probably, there are 6,000 Mangaka in Japan. Most Mangaka study at an art college or Manga school and may also take an apprenticeship with a professional Mangaka.

Mangaka draw the characters and scenes for Manga and most of them create the storylines. Mangaka work with an editor and assistant. Among the Mangaka, Osamu, Tezuka, Akira Toriyama, Sigeru Mizuki and Huziko F. Huzio are very famous. If you know about Manga, you may have heard of one of them. Well, Manga is read all over the world and translated into different languages like English, French, Spanish, and Chinese. They have many genres like history, horror, romance, fantasy, and science fiction. Manga is read by people all over the world because it makes them feel different emotions. I hope someday you get a chance to read it.

HOW TO SHOW AMERICAN PATRIOTISM

By Miyuki Lehenbauer I am Japanese. On May 1st, 2019, Japan welcomed a historical moment. The Japanese era changed. This changed when the Japanese emperor changed. I was born in the “Shouwa era” and I grew up in the “Heisei era” and now it is “Reisei era”.

But being Japanese, I don’t think we have the opportunity to show our patriotism like Americans do. For example, we don’t usually see the Japanese flag and sing a National anthem. Many American people are very patriotic, and this can be seen in many places. I see the American flag everywhere, each person`s house, some store, and some road. On holiday, I can see more American flags at many places. The flag design is made of the stars, red and white and blue. I also see pretty clothes, bags, tools and accessories with the American flag. A lot of American people love the symbol of the American flag. In addition, some American people love a parade, and many people wear American costumes. Of course, my husband wears American clothes too. People enjoy the parade with the American flag. Furthermore, many people like American football and some American love to rodeo, too. When these events start, most of the people stand up and take off their hats and put their right hand over their heart to sing the national anthem. People love the anthem.

In conclusion, American people teach American patriotism from old people to kids. So, American people love the United States.

DRIVING IN THE U.S.

By Kotaro Miyamoto It was three days before Christmas, in the afternoon. I was in the car with an examiner, and I was very nervous. The examiner was asking me many questions that were not related to the test such as “Where are you from?” or “What are you studying?” As you know English is my second language, and I was new to driving, so

29

JAPAN

I was not able to concentrate on driving if I talked. It was lucky that I passed the test and got a good car after a few weeks. There were some unexpected consequences of getting my driver’s license and getting car.

There were some positive unexpected consequences. While I was learning driving, I didn’t feel comfortable, and I thought that driving was not my thing. But now, I love driving. I feel very good when I am driving, it was so surprising to me. The second thing is that I can go anywhere, anytime I want. Before I got a car, I always took a bus or walked, so I was not able to go out at night time. I can go shopping very easily. In addition, I can carry many things from the store or school to home. Finally, I feel a car is safer than the public bus. A car could get into an accident but no other crazy people will get in or ride with me like on the bus. I always thought driving a car is dangerous but the reality was the opposite.

If there is a positive point, there always is a negative point. Before I got a car, I had imagined that a car has many negative points but these three things are unexpected things for me. First of all, gas is getting expensive. When I first got a car, it was $2.85 for 1 gallon, but now it’s $3.30. The second thing is that I have to take care of my car by myself. For example, I do not like to take my car to a car wash place.

I wash my car on my own and I watched a YouTube video that described how to clean it. That looked so easy but it’s not. Another thing is Washington State people don’t have good driving manners. Some people are very rude on the highway or wherever.

Having my own car and driving have some good and bad points. I didn’t have a good feeling about having car in the past. However, now the car is the thing that I need every day.

MY ASPIRATIONS

By Momo Taira Hi. It’s really nice meeting you. My name is Momo Taira. I’m from Japan. I came here to study English and gain my experiences. After I finish studying here, I’ll go to Nepal to do volunteer work. This study abroad is the first step to make my dreams come true.

My dream is to become a teacher who supports and helps people’s dreams come true in poverty stricken areas. When I was an elementary school student, I met the beginning of this dream. One day I listened to a speech by Doctors Without Borders in my elementary school. I saw the people who were injured and died in spite of being young. I was really shocked about the reality in this world. Moreover, the speech inspired me that I have to do something for the people who need help and support in this world. But I wasn’t sure what I could do for them at the time. After a while, I visited the Philippines to study English for one month, when I was 19 years

30 old. One day, I saw street children everywhere downtown. I was shocked about the reality that they earned money on the street instead of going to school in spite of being children. This moment, I thought I have to do something for the people who are like these street children as soon as possible. After I went back to Japan, I considered what I can do for them and what the most important things are to them.

I have had a dream that I would become a teacher who would teach to the poor and powerless before I visited Philippines, I determined that I want to support and help people by educating in poverty-stricken areas in my future. My dream was clear at this time. After this time, I studied a lot to achieve this dream.

In the spring of 2018, I visited here for just a trip. I was inspired by the US. When I looked at the sky in the US, I thought my life is infinite and filled with possibility. The US made me have confidence and motivation to achieve my dream. This moment, I determined to try MEXT scholarship program to do study abroad in the US and Nepal.

After 1 year, I passed the exam of MEXT scholarship program as a result of my great effort. In the spring of 2019, my study abroad started here, in SPSCC. Although I have spent only 1 month here now, I have had a lot of impressions, questions, and experiences. For example, how homeless people stand on their feet because I do volunteer work at the food bank. In my life, I can do everything if I’m not afraid of challenging myself. I realized that through these experiences. If I fly away from my comfort zone, my life is filled with dreams and challenges. Since I want to improve my life day by day forever, I will try everything that I want to do. This is my way to live. Thank you.

PRINCESS KAGUYA

By Takuya Toda Hello, I am from Japan. I will tell you a famous legend of Japan. Do you know the name of the mountain which is the highest in Japan? This story is about it.

A long time ago, there lived an old bamboo cutter and his wife. They were poor and had no children. One day, he went to the mountain to cut bamboo. When he started cutting bamboo, he found a shining bamboo. He cut it and found a little beautiful girl in the bamboo. He and his wife named her “Princess Kaguya”. They brought her up very carefully, and she became very beautiful. One summer night, she was crying from seeing the moon. So, the bamboo cutter asked her the reason why she was crying. She answered “Actually, I came here from the moon. The servants from the moon will come here to pick me up when the moon is full. But I will miss you and I do not want to go back.” Princess Kaguya and the old man cried in sadness. On the day of the departure, Princess Kaguya gave him some medicine and a letter. The medicine was immortal medicine and the letter suggested that he take the medicine

31

and live forever. But, the bamboo cutter did not take the medicine because he thought he did not need to live forever, and so he was not able to see Princess Kauguya again. So, he burned the medicine at the top of the highest mountain in Japan to tell his thoughts to the moon. He cried over and over again.

In Japan, the word “immortal” is “Fushi” or “Fuji”. So, the highest mountain in Japan “Mt. Fuji” is named after this story.

KENYA

KYRGYZSTAN

MY HOME COUNTRY

By Irina Dzanserikova I am from Kyrgyzstan. It's a little country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan has a lot of mountains. In my country we have a big, warm and clean lake Issyk-Kul. Every summer we went there to relax. In Kyrgyzstan we have two national languages: Russian and Kyrgyz. Bishkek is Capitol of Kyrgyzstan. I was born in Bishkek. My parents and my brother live there. I really miss them. In Kyrgyzstan we have a lot of traditions. One of the most important is day of White Kolpak (March 5). At this day all men and boys wear white Kolpak (Kolpak it is national kyrgyz hat). I really miss and love my country!

JAPAN / KENYA / KYRGYZSTAN

MY SON

By Fatuma Yussuf Shucab is a quiet and smart boy. He loves to watch videos. When he watches kid videos he doesn’t want to stop. He gets distracted by the videos. He does not eat food because he is watching the TV. He is a handsome boy. He has black hair and brown eyes. He is a normal three year old boy and I love him.

32 MEXICO

MY LIFE IN THE USA Anonymous I am from a small town in Mexico called Pastoria Ocuilan. My parents, sisters, and brothers still live in this town. I have three older brothers one here in Olympia and my sisters and two bothers they are in Mexico.

When I was 17 years old I moved to the USA. I live in Olympia with my wife and my children and best friend for many years. I lived here for 14 years. I have a different and good job now. My favorite hobby is to go to the different parks with my family and best friends. I enjoy living here partly because of the weather.

THE REASON I CAME TO THE USA Anonymous Hola! I am from a town in Mexico called Oaxaca. My parents were born there.

I have four brothers and three sisters. I’m the number five of all my brothers. I came to the United States to have a better life and learn English to have a better future.

One of my favorite hobbies is carpentry. But here in United States I like everything and live happily. I have a family, children, and grandchildren.

MY FIRST COURSE IN ESL

By Gloria Alvarez My gaze was fixed before her. Her lips were moving without stopping and the sound of her voice was as fast as lightening. It was there when I started my crossing into the world of English in which day after day she was there. When she used my name for examples; Oh, my God! That drove me crazy. My brain quickly became a radar, trying to get to the point of what I would probably have to do. Then there was silence inside of me. Also, at some points, the fear wanted to dominate my being, but I did not allow it. I kept it on the sideline as usual. The homework was like the daily bread. None was missing! If there was not enough, I made a bakery. Hahaha! I performed the same homework over and over again, until I hit the nail on the head.

Since then, being in ESL with Janelle has been great. Her speech at that speed shook my mind and put it more alert. I'm fascinated that she doesn’t stop talking. She floods the class with English!

33

MEXICO

THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY COUNTRY

By Luis Alvarez I miss my country because there is good food and many different places to visit.

I love the weather in my country because it is sunny almost all the time.

WORK

By Eliazin Bahena I work in construction. I help my family and friends. Now I live in Yelm, WA for 6 years and in the United States for 23 years. I love my job. It is good. My college is South Puget Sound Community College. I need more English.

MY PUEBLO TECALITLAN

By Sandra Campos Tecalitlan is a small town in Jalisco where some of our Mexican traditions were born. In this town the tradition of mariachi music was created. We have a museum where the founder of mariachi is admired. Every year we celebrate the mariachi festival where the best mariachis perform. At the festival we have typical Mexican food, for example: burritos, tacos, enchiladas, and pozole. We have a typical drink called “tequila”. Tecalitlan is small, but very full of traditional culture typical of all of Mexico. In general, Tecalitlan, Jalisco is beautiful and popular with the traditions of Mexicans.

TAME A HORSE IN ONE SECOND

By Fatima Cornejo When I was a teenager, I always wanted to experience new emotions. One of them was riding a horse. On one occasion my friends and I went to a fair. There were rides, but there was also a rancher’s exposition. I immediately asked to borrow a horse, and the owner lent it to me. My friends got into a controversy. They asked me how I was going to ride a horse, and they told me that I was insane. But anyway, I didn’t care about their comments, and I decided to ride the horse. I had never ridden a horse before. It was my very first time, and I just remembered that the owner winked and smiled at me. Right away, I got on the horse’s back and went for a ride.

“WEEEE”… But the horse didn’t obey my orders. I pulled the rope to one side and another, and he kept going to wherever he wanted. I was scared to death when he went to an unknown direction. Finally, the horse stopped, and immediately, I got off.

The funny thing was that the horse went back to its owner’s house. We all laughed a lot.

34 MY CITY MATAMOROS

By Liliana Coronado My city, Matamoros, is beautiful. It has the best restaurants like Los Portates and Mi Pueblito. The specialty of Los Portates is the cabrito. The specialty of Mi Pueblito is carne asada. In Matamoros there is one beach named Costa Azul. It has hotels and houses to rent. It also has its own anthem. The anthem of Matamoros was written in 1967. Matamoros is on the border of Brownsville, Texas. It has 3 international bridges: Puente Nuevo, Los Tomates and Puente Viejo. As you can see, I have a beautiful city.

A PIECE OF MY LIFE IN THE USA

By Luis Coronado The reason why I came to this country was because I want to leave a better future to my children. I do not want them to have what I went through. I want to leave that mark for life and that they remember me. I try to leave a restaurant and as much as I can.

A BEAUTIFUL BEACH IN OAXACA

By Naty Cruz Oaxaca is a beautiful place to visit. It has a lot of culture, the best food, nice weather, and there are many indigenous languages. It has a lot of art. It has very nice pyramids and mountains and beaches. There are lots of nice towns. One of my favorite places near my town is Mazunte. It is the best beach to surf and eat very healthy food. One thing to do is take an ecological tour to see the flora and fauna.

You can take a tour by boat for whale watching. You can participate in sustainable activities such as recycling and reforestation. You can visit the Mexican turtle center and release turtles, watch the sunset, or surf the waves and play volleyball.

Mazunte is located 250 km south of the city of Oaxaca. You can get there by bus, car or by plane. From the city of Oaxaca you can go South to Puerto Angel until you reach San Pedro Pochutla. From there you must connect to Federal Highway 2000, 13 km in the direction of Puerto Escondido, arriving in San Antonio. Finally you turn to the left of the paved road until you arrive. If you leave Pochutla you will continue straight on the road to Puerto Angel from the point to Ziplite beach and finally to San Agustinillo, which will be a signal that you are – minutes from Maxunte.

35

MEXICO

MEXICAN TRADITIONS

By Rose Darrin Mexico is a country full of culture and traditions. These traditions are rich in history, and they are good celebrations that families have shared through generations. For that reason, I would like to talk about three of my favorite Mexican celebrations: Day of the Dead, Posadas and Virgin of Guadalupe’s Day. As you may know, one of the most recognized customs in Mexico is the Day of the Dead. This celebration is on the first and second day of November. According to the believers, on this day the dead came to visit their relatives in this world. This originated from pre-Hispanic times and then the Catholic church adopted this tradition. Also, some people dress up as the Catrina. The Catrina is an image that represents Death.

The Posadas is a tradition that is celebrated from December sixteenth, until December twenty-fourth that has a religious origin. This is recreation of the journey that Mary and Joseph made in search of refuge before the birth of child Jesus. In the days of the posadas people would do processions with lit candles and sing Christmas songs and pray. When the procession ends the people knock on the door of the church to ask for an inn. The participants enjoy a great banquet with typical Mexican food. When everyone finishes eating, they break the traditional piñata. This beautiful Mexican tradition gathers thousands of families to enjoy the Christmas spirit.

Another celebration is Virgin of Guadalupe’s Day. That is a tradition that has been celebrated for almost 500 years every December 12. Devotion to the ‘Guadalupana’ is deeply rooted in the Catholic Mexican people. This celebration is one of the most important and popular traditional festivals. Every year thousands of pilgrims go to the Basilica to thank Virgin of Guadalupe for the miracles received. The Mariachi sing and play the ‘mananitas’ at 6am in her honor. This Catholic tradition has been passed to the new generations.

In conclusion, Mexico has a lot of these traditions full of rich culture and history, and these celebrations are part of every Mexican family heritage. All the celebrations I mentioned are a few of the most popular and my favorite too because I like celebrating this with my family, and they are unforgettable and full of exciting moments.

HAPPY LIFE

By J.A. Dominquez The reason I came to America was my family, a better life, and a better education for my sons. They have more opportunities in life being bilingual. It does

36 not matter in which country we are from. The most important thing is to be together and be a happy family.

THE HIDDEN FACE OF AVOCADOS: A CHILDREN’S HEALTH PROBLEM

By Isaura Fernandez My name is Isaura Fernandez, I'm from the state of Michoacán, Mexico. Last year I had the opportunity to write about migration in Mexico but now I chose a tragedy that the families of my hometown face and that the world ignores. This tragedy is related to the conditions of vulnerability with which the workers of the avocado field work and the increase of the cancer rate in the children of these families.

The avocado is the "green gold" in Mexico. This crop gives Mexico millionaire profits due to Mexico as the principal exporter of this product at a global level. In terms of production, it’s estimated that 1.8 million tons are harvested in the country, of which Michoacán is responsible for 70% of the national production. For this reason, the state and federal governments have given their full support to the owners of these crops regardless of the health risk to nearby residents and workers.

These crops require an excess amount of nitrate in the soils because it rains a lot and the soil is very porous. These nitrates contaminate the water of nearby residents causing serious health problems such as “blue baby” syndrome. This syndrome can cause in children from breathing problems to death. In addition, pesticides and fertilizers related to the generation of cancer are used.

In Michoacán, it is more feasible for a child to die of cancer than pneumonia, diabetes, obesity or any other infectious disease. Cancer is the third leading cause of infant death in the entire state, and the first cause in the villages around the avocado producing strip. This situation not only affects children. These villages are considered as the epidemiological center for breast cancer, cervical and liver cancer in adults.

And all this risk to earn the equivalent of 2 dollars for 8 hours of workday. And if that were not enough, the workers don't have benefits, no medical insurance, and no protective equipment in many cases. In contrast to this tragedy, the owners of the crops are the richest in the state, even the country.

I would like to be able to help these children awakening the social conscience of Americans. I believe that USA is a nation where its people stand up to defend unjust causes. Where people speak for those who are not heard. The American population is a great consumer of avocado. If only the companies that import this fruit demand the government of Michoacán take action on this problem, by reprimanding them not to consume their product. I'm sure there would be a big change. I lived among them, it's my town.

37

MEXICO

Also, as consumers, we can organize ourselves and start with foundations to collect aid funds for the treatment of these children. I know who they are, I saw their faces. Faces of mothers with two or three children with cancer, without money for their treatments. This is my dream, I don't know where to start, but through this publication, I'm taking the first step.

THE REASONS I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES

By Cristina Itehua-Itehua I came to the United States nine years ago. I came to the United States because in Mexico there is no work. I need to work to help my parents. I also have three children that I need to support. Another reason I came to the United States is so my children could have more opportunities. They can attend better schools and get a good education. I like living in the United States because the people are kind, I can work, and my family has better opportunities.

THE LUNADAS IN TIJUANA

By Isabel Lozano In my country it is a tradition to make moonlight in the sea. That is a tradition in Tijuana. Usually they make lunada for a week and in those moons they do many things. To start, they join many friends or relatives. They carry many lights and balloons with candles into the sea. They play music, and when everything is ready they start to put a wish in each balloon. Part of this tradition is that in every wish you have to ask for peace for the world and eternal rest for the loved ones who are no longer here with us. And the rest of the days we play games, we tell stories, etc. And the last day of the week all together we have to gather all the trash we can from the beach. And when we finish, we put on white clothes, it is a symbol of purity and peace, and we swim in the sea until we find a sea star.

MY VILLAGE

By Alejandra Mendoza I was born in San Juan, Oaxaca, Mexico. A town in the south of Oaxaca, it is a small town very calm where the people walk the streets. They do not need the cars to go from one place to another place. The people are very friendly with everyone who visits the town. It is a place to rest from the city. It’s quiet and cozy. My village has many traditions and festivals. It’s a place with lots of mountains around it. My town is on top of a mountain. It is a dry place. There are not that many trees. It is a hot place, but it is a beautiful village.

38 THANK YOU SPSCC

By Arcadio Mendoza I choose to learn English for many reasons. First of all, it provides better communication opportunities, good jobs, and more. In the classroom I found good friends available to help and share ideas. I found people that are friendly and determined to reach their goal. It’s a good experience to know different cultures of the world. The teachers combined with SPSCC make a good combination because SPSCC gives good basics to get educated and make life easier. Thank you teachers and SPSCC!

FAMILY VACATION

By Veronica Nunez Three years ago I went to Disneyland on vacation with my family. My children were very happy to meet all the characters from their cartoons. My husband and I were happy to fulfill their dreams. Brian and Karen loved Disneyland. Brian’s favorite thing was the transformers’ ride and Karen’s favorite was the Princesses. We ate good food. Brian liked the hamburgers and Karen liked the pizza. I liked the fireworks.

They were very dazzling and colorful. This vacation was very nice because we enjoyed it as a family.

FRIGHTENED MOTHER

By Elena Reyes-Oropeza Back in 1986, I used to work helping my mother in a public market. I had to take my 3 year old and 2 month old son with me to the food stand. One day, my father saw me struggling to take care of my kids and work, and he decided to make a hammock with his own hands. I put my son in it and it worked very well to keep him happy while I worked. One day, after we arrived home and unloaded everything, we took a few steps into the house and my mother screamed in panic, “The baby!” All of a sudden I felt goosebumps all over my body as I immediately remembered that we had left my baby son in the hammock under the serving table at the market. My parents and I chased the cab driver to stop him from leaving the area. When he stopped, we all jumped in and asked him to take us back. After an excruciating ride back to the market, we finally arrived. I jumped out of the cab, ran to the serving table and I paused. I was scared to look under the table and not see my baby there.

When I finally looked under the table, I felt so relieved that my son was still asleep in the hammock. He didn’t wake up at all. He had slept through everything. Needless to say, I was the happiest mom in the world.

39

MEXICO

ADVENTURES OF A COUPLE

By Lilia Rojas I grew up in the state of Guerrero, Mexico with my father, mother, five brothers, and a sister. When I turned 16 years old I met a gentleman and I married him. After we got married, my husband and I made a decision to come to the United States. We arrived at Los Angeles CA. A month later, I got pregnant. When I went to the hospital to have my baby, the hospital staff treated me with respect and love. A month later my husband thought it was a good idea to go back to school to learn English. So he applied at a vocational college where the school gave him a scholarship.

I was very happy because he would have better opportunities to get a job. Since then I have liked that this country has had many opportunities to do something in life.

MOVING TO THE U.S.A.

By Silvia When I moved to the U.S.A fourteen years ago, it was a big change in my life. I never expected the consequences. It switched all my life with both positive and negative consequences.

I heard people talking about the life in the U.S.A. I wanted to try it and I came with my two-year-old daughter. And yes, the people were right, the life here is different. We can buy things easier than in our country. We feel safer. Another thing we can enjoy is the weather because we can see each season. In fall the leaves fall down, in winter we can play with the snow, in spring we can see the plants blooming and in summer we can enjoy the sun, the lakes and rivers.

Moving to U.S.A had some negative consequences too. One unexpected problem was that I didn’t speak the language and I didn’t have any idea how I could communicate with the people. One other problem is that I can’t go back to Mexico and see my family. One of the reasons is because I am an immigrant and the second one is because I’m scared to go back; it’s dangerous with the cartels killing and kidnapping people. One other thing is that I don’t like driving but it is necessary in this country and that is a big problem for me.

Overall, I feel happy now. I can see my mom because she has a visa and she can come every year. Also, we are in a country filled with opportunities. If we learn how to take advantage of them we can be who we want to be.

MY LIFE

By Gricelda Valdez My name is Gricelda. I was born in Nochistan Zacatecas, Mexico. I lived with my mom and my dad and my seven siblings. 20 years ago I got married and I moved

40 here to the USA. It was tough at first, but I knew it was going to get better. I had my son and my daughter and knowing they would have a good life made everything worth it. I do miss Mexico a lot, but this is my home now and forever.

MY SHORT TIME LIVING IN THE U.S.

By Jennifer Valdez My name is Jennifer. I’m from Mexico. I’m 18 years old. I have not been here in Lacey for a long time, but I like this place almost in every way. Of course I also miss Mexico and my family and friends, but I come here I think like most people looking for a better life opportunity. In this moment of my life I am a bit disoriented because I do not know well what I want in the future. At this moment I work and study or trying to learn the complicated English language. In this school I have met many people from different countries and as I said all in search of a better life opportunity.

I miss Mexico. It is the place where I grew and have beautiful things and this is my family and friends, but all change is for good and I hope that each of these changes that I’m going through that maybe are not so good at some points, are worthwhile in the future.

THE HOMEWORK IN ENGLISH

By Eloisa Velazquez Hello! My name is Eloisa. I am from Mexico. A country very beautiful because it has diverse paradise and people of work. Now I live in Olympia, Washington, USA. My family is big and wonderful. I have five children, three girls and two boys. I have three sisters and five nephews. My friends are from Mexico. Now I have friends in Washington.

My favorite colors are blue and black. My favorite drink is coffee and my favorite fruits are strawberry and mango. I like eat fish, salads, hamburgers and tacos.

I have long curly black hair. I have eyes brown. My work is in beauty salon because I like hairstyle and makeup. In the morning I go at gym because I need exercise. I need more class English.

THE MEXICAN FOOD IS THE BEST

By Angelica Zavala I am from Mexico. In Mexico we have the best food. The popular food is pozole, tacos, quesadillas, gorditas and tamales.

Mexico has big states and beautiful places. The beaches of Mexico are the best because of the heat. I like the “Micheladas”, they are my favorite drink.

41

I have two sisters and two brothers. I am the baby of the family. My father lives in Mexico. He has a butcher shop. I miss my father. My mom lives in Washington. But what I love most is my son. His name is Lean. He is 6 years old. It’s great because we play and we watch TV.

MOROCCO

NEPAL

MEXICO / MOROCCO / NEPAL // CAMBODIA

COMING TO THE USA

By Khadija Elkacmi I will tell you how I had the chance to continue my life here in the United States of America. My first visit was April 6th 2017. I came with my family on vacation here in Washington State for three weeks. It was pleasant, wonderful, and unforgettable.

We hoped with all our hearts to live here because of our love for this country. After the vacation, we went back to our country, our work and routines. A week later, my husband checked the US Visa Lottery website and was shocked in front of his computer. He saw, “Congratulations. You have been selected…” It was an incredible joy. I will not forget when we arrived at the airport after a long trip and heard the words, “Welcome to the United States.”

MY FAMILY

By Shakuntala Rajkarnikar Hello, my name is Shakuntala. I am from Nepal. I live in Lacey, WA. I came to USA six months ago. I have two children, one son and one daughter. My son’s name is Shrisal and my daughter’s name is Shristi. I live with my son and my daughter is in Nepal. My son is in USA Army and my daughter works in the bank.

I like Nepali food, drink tea or juice. I like English language. I go to English language two times a week. I miss my parents, daughter, and family in my country.

MY TRAVELS IN THE USA

By Kishor Chandra Lal Shrestha I visited the USA for the first time in April 2011 for my son’s graduation. It was in Providence, Rhode Island. I stayed here for five months. During my stay I traveled to many places with my family. We went to Washington D.C., Niagara Falls, Virginia,

42 New York City. That place is nice to see. During that period my son got married in Providence, Rhode Island.

The second time I came to Florida, USA in 2015. I stayed in Florida with my daughter-in-law. In Florida we visited different beaches, Orlando, and a fun park with my family and friends. After six months we moved to WA State. My son works for the U.S. army and he was posted to WA State. We lived in Fort Lewis Army base for one year. During my stay I went to see Mt. Rainier, waterfalls, the zoo, the beach, and other new places. After I came to this place my granddaughter was born. Also I got my green card. I went to Nepal for six months.

Next time I came to Cleveland, Ohio in 2017. My daughter-in-law moved to Ohio due to her work. In Cleveland we visited Virginia to see the religious Hindu temple, Vridhawan. I went to Shiva Vishnu temple, Cleveland downtown area, the aquarium, Columbus and many other beautiful places.

After one and a half years all my family moved back to WA State. My son bought a new house in Lacey, Washington. In Washington I visited Seattle downtown, a ferry ride, Mt. Rainier, Olympia State House, the Museum of Flight, and many other interesting and beautiful places.

Overall my journey in the USA is very interesting and I am enjoying traveling and staying here.

PHILIPPINES

“MAHAL NA ARAW” (HOLY WEEK)

By Maria Lovie C. Ligasan The Philippines have so many traditional holidays that are both restive and holy.

The majority of the people in Philippines is Catholic so one of the most observed holy holidays is what we call “Mahal na Araw” (Holy Week). Holy Week happens in March and lasts from “Palm Sunday” until “Easter Sunday” or “Pasko ng Pagkabuhay”.

Starting Palm Sunday, all business establishments, schools, and government agencies are closed in observance of Holy Week. All public media (TV and radio) usually broadcast only shows that feature “Holy Week themes” which mean the life and passion of Christ. Everyone is expected of observe silence. People are expected to fast. But usually some can’t do it. They are allowed to eat crackers, fish and rice.

No meat is allowed!

The whole country is in mourning. In streets, town people re-enact the life and passion of Christ, down to self-flagellation until crucifixion. Ordinary folks dressed like Roman soldiers, lash and whip those who re-enact the life of Christ carrying his

43

PHILIPPINES

cross. People with the gravest sin or those who felt the need for self-sacrifice will be selected as the one getting crucified.

By Easter Sunday, people celebrate by going to Church that morning, and then come home to a festive meal. All TV and radio stations are back on air.

Filipinos love their holiday traditions and they put more meaning into why they celebrate, keeping traditions alive, passing it on to the next generation making it as their main foundation in their lives.

MOVING TO THE UNITED STATES

By Helen T. Stewart I am a Filipina from the Philippines. My husband is an American. After we got married, my husband brought me here to the U.S. When I came here to the U.S., my life changed in some unexpected ways. I had a lot of experiences that were positive and negative.

When I moved here to the U.S., I saw it was a beautiful country and a great place to live. My family got better medical health care, insurance coverage, doctors, and nurses. The hospitals are great for using new and modern technology. I’m thankful that I had an opportunity to go to school to improve my English. The people in the U.S. have a different style of living. I’m happy I’ve met new friends from all over the world. Also, I, have had an experience of driving and being independent.

There are also some negative unexpected consequences that I experienced from moving to the United States. I miss my other relatives and friends in my home country. Also, when I first came here in the U.S., everything was different and new to me. For example, there were new places, people, weather, and culture. Even the language and food were different too. I was surprised by the very cold weather. I felt so cold. Also, I had a difficult time to communicating with the other people. My English wasn’t good! It made me sad. My husband was the only person who understood my English. The food also was hard for me to adjust. In my home country, we eat rice with every meal three times a day. We eat rice at breakfast, lunch and dinner. When I got here in the U.S., we had a different arrangement of meals. My husband doesn’t want to eat rice with every meal.

Overall, I’m grateful that I moved here to the U.S., and have experienced the beauty of this country. Although I experienced some unexpected negative consequences, I am thankful that I have overcome my difficulties. I truly appreciate the opportunity to live here and enjoy the freedom of this country. The United States is a blessed and beautiful place of many people’s dream.

44 POLAND

MY FAMILY

By Genowefa Radzimirska I’m married. I have two children and five grandchildren. My daughter live in Poland. She is married. She has four children. She works in a kindergarten. My son lives in the USA. He is a painter. He has one child. My husband works as a driver.

I like going to the park. I like to play with my cat. I’m cleaning my house on Wednesday. I go to school in the evening on Tuesday and Thursday. My favorite drinks are coffee and red wine. I like to wear dresses.

RUSSIA

UNEXPECTED RESULTS OF MOVING TO THE USA Anonymous Have you ever thought about moving to another country? I have. One beautiful day, I knew I won the Green Card Lottery. It got me a chance to try to live in the U.S. I had experience with moving to another country because before my family had moved many times. I understood what was waiting for me. However, I could not foresee everything and finally, this has had unexpected positive and negative results.

I prefer to start with negative results. I do not have that many. For one thing, I cannot communicate with people just like in my home country because I cannot speak and understand English fluently. When I visit stores or the county office I have problems with communication. Another bad thing is life in the U.S. is more expensive than in my home country. Some services such as TV, the Internet, and cell phones are more expensive than in my home country. In addition, food prices are the same as food prices in the capital in my country. I have to spend more money to live in the U.S. On the other side, I have positive results. One unexpected good thing is that I have gotten many new skills. Two of them are I learned how to cut big trees and rebuild houses. I bought a chain saw to cut old trees next to my house. I did it for the first time, but now I have had the big trees’ cutting experience. Because my house is old, I repaired the floor and painted walls to live in a more comfortable and nicer place. The other good thing is I have found new friends and meet many interesting people who help me. Now, I have nice neighbors who are Americans. They help me to speak English, and I get advice from them, for I do many things by myself for the first time. At the college, I have met new friends, too. I like to travel, so sometimes

45

POLAND / RUSSIA

my friends and I have a small trip to the ocean. During our trip, we have great communication and discuss different topics in English.

Despite the fact that the move to the United States had unexpected results, I am glad that I did it. In general, this great experience will help me in my life. In addition, no matter how my life develops in the future, I will be thankful for the chance to try living in the USA.

HOW I STUDY ENGLISH

By Lana Novicihina I was born in Latvia and moved to the U.S. from Russia, so I can speak Latvian, my homeland language is Russian, and I also studied German at school. Before I came to the U.S., two years ago, I had never spoken English. Therefore, when I started to live in Shelton, I decided that I had to study English and speak English fluently to communicate with people and feel more comfortable. What did I do to study English and improve it? I followed these three steps: I studied English by myself at home, I took English classes at a school a college, and I tried to speak with Americans.

First, I went to the Timberland library in Shelton to find some books that would help me to study English by myself at home. There, at the library, I found many English grammar books for different speakers’ levels, but I chose books for beginners, and I started to study grammar at home. Every day I studied English for one to two hours.

I asked about English words and grammar to my neighbor, who speaks German fluently because he is Dutch. That helped me feel not alone in this big English speakers’ world and helped me “to dive" in a new world for me. However, one day, he said me, “I am so sorry, I can not speak German with you because my daughter told me that if I speak German with you, you will never speak English.” That was true.

Although I studied basic grammar and some English words, I saw that this knowledge was not enough for me to improve my English and achieve my goals in English studying. My husband and I took classes in a small English school in Shelton.

At school, we studied only speaking English and we discussed different topics, for example, “What do you do?” and “How was your weekend?” I will remember for my whole life what PICK BRUSH means, and that my classmates liked to play soccer on weekends. These answers were the most popular answers at the school. For me, this school was a good start to improve my English. Next, after I studied English in Shelton, I became a student at SPSCC in Olympia and began to take English classes at the college. It was a good idea for me because I needed to get different skills: writing, speaking and reading. I have taken classes five days a week and as a result, I improved my English faster than before. Here, in the college I met many students from different countries. I was so impressed because I met for the first time so many international

46 students in one place at the same time! We discuss our classes, share different cultural traditions and our life experience in the U.S. with each other, and we do it using only English. Finally, I can write in English! Since I started studying at the college, I have gotten new knowledge about English writing rules. They are different from Russian writing rules, but right now, I know how to write paragraphs and why American students have to write so many essays.

Third, speaking with Americans was and is one more step to improve my English. I met people not only at the college but also everywhere: on streets, in stories, in a library. How can I speak with them without English? Listening to their speech, I improved my pronunciation and speaking. We discussed the weather, American culture, and things that are interesting for them and me. Last summer, our neighbor invited my husband and me to the summer party that was organized by a nice neighbor family. There were about forty of our neighbors, young and adult. I was very happy that I was able to speak English and to have conversations with them.

Sometimes, they complimented on my accent with, “I like your accent.” It impressed me and I got happier and more satisfied with myself!

To sum up, while living in the U.S., I have acquired different English skills and have gotten abilities to improve my English. Studying English at SPSCC is the best way to improve my English. Of course, I do not forget my first school in Shelton, and I continue to study at home by myself. Sometimes my classmates ask me about my future, and I answer with certainty “I want to improve my English.”

SAUDI ARABIA

MOVING TO THE U.S.

By Aishah Since I moved to the U.S. I have faced so many unexpected negative and positive consequences. I found a lot of things that surprised me, and for many things I was not expecting it to be the way it is. And that made me look at the world from so many different perspectives.

I have enjoyed the positive unexpected consequences. First, I have met a lot of people from different countries which has helped me to learn about other cultures and make friends. Also, while I am studying and living in the U.S. I have learned the culture of America. For example, I have learned about the holidays in the U.S. such as Christmas and Thanksgiving. In addition, I am used to living in mostly hot weather in my country Saudi Arabia which is almost the opposite. Here it’s rainy, it’s cold and it snows. That’s why it was unexpected weather but it’s beautiful.

47

There have been negative consequences as well. For example, it’s hard to find the food I’m used to, and it took me a long time to figure out similar ingredients to make my favorite food. The most important unexpected consequence is missing important family and cultural events, such as family weddings, Eid al-fitr, and Eid aladha.

This change has been a good experience for me. I’m meeting new friends, learning new things and gaining new experiences. Living in a new country has made me more open minded and I’m happy with the unexpected consequences.

SINGAPORE

SAUDI ARABIA / SINGAPORE

THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL

By Shirley So Traditionally, most Chinese people like to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.

This traditional Chinese festival has more than 3,000 years of history. Autumn is the harvest season in China when people have finished harvesting rice, wheat and vegetables. The day is the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. At this time the moon is the biggest and brightest in the year. It is a good time for outdoor reunions among friends and relatives to eat moon cakes. Many stores sell the moon cake before the festival. In addition, there are many children that carry lanterns and play around the house happily.

Nowadays, Chinese communities all over the world eat moon cakes during the moon festival. For example, some Chinese bakeries sell the traditional moon cakes in Seattle, Washington or Chinatown in The United States. There are many new products of green tea or durian moon cakes sold in Singapore and Malaysia. Many daughters who have married like buying the moon cakes as a gift to their parents.

The traditional ingredients of the moon cake are sweet red bean paste, lotus seed paste, black sesame pastes, nut and egg yolks, etc. It is covered in a thin crust.

The lantern is very important in this festival. In the early time, many creative children liked to create their own lanterns. They use bamboo to make a different shape of frame. For example, they make the shape of a fish, an airplane and an animal. It is framed with thin and bright color paper. The lantern has a light inside a transparent container with a handle for children to carry.

There is a huge full moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival night. Many family members and friends like chatting under the moonlight. It’s an opportunity to slow down and relax during an awesome night. At the same time, they like eating moon

48 cakes, melon seeds, and drinking Chinese tea while chatting through the wonderful night.

Finally, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is customary to light and hang the lanterns around the outside of the house. It’s a good time to invite your good friends or relatives to come to your house to eat the delicious moon cakes and drink Chinese tea.

As a result, Mid-Autumn Festival Night is so romantic. Some people find their partner on this day and become husband and wife. Also, it is the best time to have a good relationship with your family members. Many Chinese people like to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.

SOMALIA

COMING TO AMERICA

By Shukri Abdulahi I moved from Africa to America as a refugee. Coming to America was rough, but now I am a student. I am a student because I want to have a better job and a better life. I want to become a doctor. I like to help people and to work with families. I am happy that I am in America. Thank you for reading my story.

MY AMERICA

By Alromesa Mohamed I like America because there is so many chances you can have in life. I like that there is freedom for myself and children. The education here is free for my children.

It’s not free in Sudan. I am happy I’m here so we can be educated and find a good job. I like that there is different cultures there in America than in my Sudanese culture.

SOUTH KOREA

THE GENDER RULES

By Maryann Dungan I grew up in South Korea 1957 through 1976. I lived in the country surrounded by many mountains—it was very beautiful. Korean culture treated the men very special ways. They ruled over the women. When I was a child, I saw how men treated the women. The women and girls couldn’t sit with men or eat meals with them. And

49

SOMALIA / SOUTH KOREA

men didn’t go in to the kitchen to prepare meals or do any cooking. No matter what, the women always worked hard. They prepared the meals and washed the clothes.

Back then, Korea had no washing machines. They washed clothes by hand and raised three or four kids. The men told the women how to conduct themselves. “Don’t talk too much! Don’t drink nor smoke cigarettes.” When women tried say something, men always said to the women to just obey whatever the men ordered! They always said “Did you forget you are woman? You are not supposed to talk back to men!”

Sometimes, when they were drunk, they would beat up women. I visited South Korea after 40 long years in 2018. All has changed. Now the men and women help each other. Seems like nowadays women have more power than men. I think change is very good!!!

BACK TO SCHOOL

By Sun Grizzle I’m a Korean-American citizen. I came to America 33 years ago, I’m taking my first ESL class at South Puget Sound Community College. On my first day of orientation I was very excited, but also very nervous. I was most excited about learning proper English and meeting my new classmates. My spelling skills and grammar cause me to be nervous. This class has challenged me in many ways. For me the homework and using the computer have been most challenging. I purchased my first laptop just five days ago. I have been catching up on my homework while learning to operate my new laptop and navigating the online class homework. This new beginning has been made much easier by my professor, Kathy. She has made me feel comfortable and confident. She encourages me and all the students in the class. In conclusion, I’m still excited and the nervousness is getting less because I’m supported by my teacher and fellow classmates. I believe I will be successful in this new learning challenge.

BEAUTIFUL ISLAND, JE-JU

By Grace Kim I want to introduce Je-ju island, which is beautiful in Korea. Je-ju island is very famous tourist destination in Korea, and more than 10 million tourists visit Je-ju each year.

Je-ju has many attractions. There are many waterfalls with different beauties in many places, and the sunrises of Seong-san Il-chul-bong, Baeng-nok-dam of Halla mountain, and Dok-kkae-bi Road are stunning. Next, Je-ju has many kinds of local foods. There are many kind of local foods, but among them, local foods made with local specialties such as Black pig, Udo peanut, Hallabong and rape flower are the most famous. Lastly, Je-ju island is made of basalt because Halla mountain in Je-ju

50 island was a volcano. So, stone Harbang sculpture is made of basalt and it symbolizes Je-ju. Many tourists buy it as a souvenir.

As you can see, Je-ju island is a beautiful place full of things to see and eat.

Anyone who experiences this beautiful island will fall into its charm.

UNEXPECTED CONSEQUENCES OF A WONDERFUL BIG CHANGE

By Chaeryeon Lee In our lives, a lot of changes are being decided by many people. Big changes can lead to consequences that you didn’t expect. For example, I am a SPSCC student right now, but I also was a student at a Korean university. Choosing the major of Airline Service at a university in Korea led to big unexpected consequences in my life.

Some people told me that college life is pretty fun as a small society, so I knew that some good things would be there in my college life. But I didn’t expect so many good things. For one thing, I learned all about Airline Service that I am interested in and that I never learned before, for example, practical training, getting ready for an interview, role playing, and a number of theories relating to employment. Also, classes were really helpful for me to be a flight attendant. We had lots of language classes such as English, TOEIC, TOEFL, Japanese, and Chinese because learning a second language is very important. Another good thing was that I met lots of good people. Through the classes, I had a chance to meet some great professors and classmates there. In the Korean Christian club CCC, which means Campus Crusade for Christ, I maintained a good relationship with club members. This club is a kind of a missionary group. We gathered from all different majors, and we worked with students on each campus. I have many good memories with CCC and I had a really unforgettable experience. In fact, I made a really good choice of a university and major.

Becoming a college student had some negative consequences, too. One unexpected problem was the extra time I needed to take care of myself. I worried a lot about my grades, school rules, studying, getting certificates, and graduation. For this reason, I got really tired and exhausted during the quarter, so it led to a health problem. Also, I was busy at that time because of these things to do. So, it was really hard to make my own time. I needed time to spend on my hobbies and free time to relax. The other problem was money. For instance, the college tuition was really expensive, and I couldn’t earn money while taking a class. Also, I had to use public transportation to go to school and the transportation cost was too much. Lastly, there was an added food cost and I needed to buy lots of books related to my major. As a result, there was a problem with time and a shortage of money.

51

SOUTH KOREA

Overall, though, choosing the major of Airline Service at my university in Korea was an unexpected successful change in my life. Even if I might have had a hard time, I am really satisfied at this moment. I had a wonderful life-changing experience.

THE REASON I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES

By Sowon Lee Why did you come to the United States? Most people have asked me this. After listening to the question, I thought for a moment why I came to the United States.

However, the reasons I came to the United States are simple.

One of the reason is to study English. Perhaps most people come to the United States to study English, and so did I. I wanted to learn proper English which is taught by native speakers. It is important for me to study English to communicate with American people and study my major. Now through the Intensive English program, I feel I have improved my English skills. I believe that it will give me great help in the future. The second reason is to get a job. After graduating from university, I will find a job and work in the United States. If you ask me “Why?”, I will answer, “because I want to study in a better environment and work in another country that is not my own country.” Finally, I want to get a variety of experiences in the United States. My parents told me, “You should experience a lot of things in a wide world and it will help you live your whole life better.” I came to the United States because I thought that the United States had many opportunities to experience some things different from my own country. Since I came to the United States, I have met many friends from different countries. And thanks to these friends, I was able to have fun at school. Also, I have learned about life and culture in the United States through the International Student Association Club and events from SPSCC. However, it hasn’t all been good since I came to the United States. The lifestyle, food, and the way Americans think and express themselves were so different from my own country. Especially, the biggest problem was the language barrier. So, speaking English was so hard and made me nervous. I felt uncomfortable and had so much to learn. So, I need to study hard and understand their culture and life.

When I told my parents that I had wanted to study in the United States, my parents supported me and told me, “Don’t give up if you feel isolated and tired.” I am always thankful they support my studying and future. So, if I feel tired and think that I want to give up, I overcome the problem because of my parents. Although I came to the United States alone and it is so hard, I would like to successfully complete all courses by having confidence.

52 SPSCC SCHOOL

By Yong Lee First, I want to thank God that I live in the United States. I want to thank Washington State for giving me many benefits for school. Thank you, SPSCC, for giving me the opportunity to study English. I’m proud of myself for studying English at my age. I am an older student. Thanks to all the professors and mostly to my professor, Kathy Miller. I want to study hard and help America and the school and I want to make my husband proud of me too. Thank God that I am living in Washington State and for guiding me to SPSCC school.

SEOL-NAL

By Olivia In Korea, we celebrate New Year’s Day by the lunar calendar so the Lunar New Year falls in late January or early February. I’d like to describe how ‘Seol-Nal’ is celebrated in my country.

First thing, we go shopping to prepare the holiday meals before the Lunar New Year’s Day. It is prepared by all family members from other area. In the morning of the day, all family members are gathered and dressed up ready to perform an ancestral rite. After, they eat together and bow to each other to get words of blessing and money. Also, some traditional games are played all day long except during meal time.

During a preparation of the ‘Seol-Nal’, most of family’s customs are followed on the husband’s side. We have different recipe and ingredients for food by region and different dialects to understand especially for a new family member. Sometimes, it is hilarious when our differences of our dialog could be misunderstood by each other. I grew up in the middle of South Korea, in Seoul, but my husband grew up in the southern part of South Korea. I had no clue of the conversation/dialect at beginning of my marriage. I was basically a foreigner in their eyes. But, now through all that, I am very happy to be a member of their family.

As times have changed, parents visit their children’s homes in town now.

People used to visit their parents’ house in the countryside to celebrate the holiday.

Some of them take a trip abroad instead of celebrating the holiday with all family members. For young generations, they hesitate to prepare the big holiday meals and gathering. It seems likely they want to celebrate the holiday as their vacations.

No matter what, I miss the ‘Seol-Nal’ (Lunar New Year) of my childhood which had huge family reunions and during which we shared our life’s good things and bad things.

53

TAIWAN

STORY OF MYSELF

By Chiu Hsiung Wang (William) I am going to talk about why I came to USA to study. There is a saying, it is never too late to learn. About 15 years ago, I often came to Seattle to visit my

SOUTH KOREA / TAIWAN

LEAVING MY HOME COUNTRY

By Deog Pak Do you remember your last day in your home country before you came to the United States? How did you feel? What did you do? Or have you ever wondered if you could leave your own country? I had never thought about leaving my own country before I married my husband. After I got married, my husband told me that he dreamed of living in the United States. Therefore, I prepared to leave my country.

Before I left, my older brother wanted my siblings, mother, and I to travel. We went to Jeju-Island for three nights and four days. We were excited, even though my family couldn’t forget that I would be leaving them. On the very last day, we took a picture.

My family worried about me. My mother was extremely sad. She thought when I left she could not see me anymore. Also, my older brother and my older sister worried about me. But, in retrospect, I could say nothing; I could only stand and look at my family. I thought it doesn’t matter where I live. I can still communicate with them.

MY FAMILY

By Jung Hee Park I’m married. I’m from South Korea. I like hiking. I like food – tomato and eggs.

My family is father and mother. I like traveling. I like spring. I like yellow color. I have brown eyes. In winter 2018 I came to the USA.

THE REASON WHY I CAME TO AMERICA

By Seung Cheol Shin (Steve) My job was a chef in South Korea. It’s been nine years since I started cooking. I thought it was boring to cook only in Korea, so I went to a working holiday program in Australia and Germany. My English was almost a beginner, so I missed the chance to learn more cooking. I went back to Korea and made many plans. The first plan was to go to the United States and learn English. Because if I can speak English, I can communicate with people all over the world and grow up with each other. So I looked for many schools in the U.S. where I could learn English and found the SPSCC.

54 daughter, Sophia. At that time, I was not able to speak English, just knew few easy words. Therefore, when I was on the airplane, I didn’t know how to fill out the landing forms, when going through the immigration at the airport. I could not understand what the officers asked, I felt frustrated and decided to come to study after my retirement! In the first few years, I could only come for couple months and left for Taiwan again. After few years went by, I decided to find a school I could focus on my English study and finally I am here now. I feel I really have improved a lot even though I still can’t speak well. But the improvement is an accomplishment in my life, and I wish to increase my skills more in the future.

THAILAND

WELCOME EVERYONE TO THAILAND

By Akadech Kamolned Thailand is a small country. There is a place call Siam. Thailand has 10 kings to the present. Thai people are generous, helpful, friendly, bring smiles, and they like to help others. There are many places to travel and lots of cultures to experience, from the north to the south. It is safe and convenient to travel and live here. The cost of living is cheap and the food is delicious. There are many activities, both on the land and water to choose from, beautiful oceans and open-air tuk-tuks. Thailand has everything and everything is easy to find if you need it. Welcome everyone to Thailand.

TRADITION IN THAILAND

By Rattana Liangbamrung There are many important traditions in Thailand, but I would like to give one example: The Songkran Festival on April 13th. Everyone will prepare the water on Songkran. They put water in buckets to splash on people in the streets. The elderly like to go to the temple to get lucky water that is blessed by a monk to drink that will bring health and good life. Then they return home and the children kneel down at the elderly people’s feet for a blessing. In the Thai New Year, the Songkran Festival lasts a total of three days. Some families will return to their old house in the provinces or go to play with water in other provinces. In some provinces, they will play with water until the 17th day. At the end of the festival, everyone will return to work as usual. This is the festival of my country.

55

TURKEY

NEW LIFE IN OLYMPIA

By Yildiz Eksioglu My name is Yildiz. I am from Turkey. I came to the U.S.A. five months ago.

I live in Olympia with my family. My husband works in Olympia. My son is kindergarten student. Living here is a new experience for us. We have new friends and new neighbors. I can tell, people are kind, very friendly. Olympia is a peaceful place.

Sometimes, I miss my relatives and friends in Turkey.

I started ESL program to learn English. I hope I will learn English. I will have a job and a great life.

TURKMENISTAN

TRADITION OF MY COUNTRY

By Jemal Ozkara People in my country very often set up a large table in honor of an important event. For example, it could be the birth of a baby, the purchase of a house or a car.

It happens like this. They put two large tents for 100 people. At the same time, a cook makes food. The girls and women of the family prepare salads and sweets. Next, people go shopping. After that, the people go around the neighborhood and call their neighbors and invite them for lunch in honor of buying a car or having a baby. It is necessary to put two tents—one for women and one for men. On this day, all family

THAILAND / TURKEY / TURKMENISTAN

THE THAILAND WATER FESTIVAL

By Thanachai Wutthimanop Songkran is the traditional Thai New Year’s Water Festival. It’s celebrated for three days from April 13 to April 15 every year. Most people take a holiday for the three days. Some people go back to their hometown to see their families. I go to the temple in the morning to give the monks food and then I pray. I believe that I will have a good life in my life. In the afternoon everybody starts to play in the water.

People throw water on the people who pass on the road. After the people play with the water, we enjoy a party. People celebrate on Songkran day. The traditional Thai New Year is Songkran. You can say “sah-was-dee-pee-mai” this means “Happy New Year.”

56 members should be busy. This tradition has a name: “Huday yoly.” This can be translated as the “Path of God.” I really like “Huday yoly” because all the food there is national and very tasty. Also, it is cooked according to the rules. It is very fun at “Huday yoly.” All the relatives and neighbors join this celebration. There are many children who turn this holiday into a noisy bazaar. I miss this celebration. I miss my family.

UKRAINE

SPECIAL HOLIDAYS

By Svitlana Patterson A big part of Ukranian customs and traditions are connected with the cycle of the year and harvesting. In winter, the most important holiday is Christmas, which in pre-Christmas times was a holiday of the winter solstice. Traditionally twelve lean dishes should be cooked for the Christmas Eve dinner. In pagan times, it was a symbol of the twelve zodiac signs, but nowadays it is a symbol of the twelve Apostles.

Christmas carols are usually accompanied with a special performance and they also combine Christian and folk traditions.

In the spring people prepare for the spring and perform special songs to welcome the spring. The most important holiday here is Easter. This holiday connected the traditions of making special Easter bread and painting Easter eggs, or “Pysanky.” Pysanka was a symbol of the sun, the beginning of new life. It was painted with sacred signs and was given to each other as a symbol of happy life. The tradition of painting Easter eggs is still very popular.

In the summer, the most popular holiday is Ivan Kupala. The tradition of its celebration also originated from pagan times and is accompanied with a cheerful folk festivity. The autumn was a period of the harvest holiday when people thanked the land for the fertility.

This list could go on and on. But as you can see, Ukraine is a very hospitable country with tasty food and a great number of holidays all over the year that welcomes you. Lastly, it is better to see it once than to hear about it a thousand times.

YALTA MAKES ME FEEL HAPPY!

By Olga Somina Yalta makes me feel happy! I had been living in Yalta for 13 years before I moved to the USA. Yalta is a resort city on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea. I enjoy Yalta because it’s a small city, not like big Miami.

The nature of Yalta amazed me. You can enjoy the Black Sea and the mountains within

57

UKRAINE

walking distance. I have a choice on what makes me feel happy: I can go and enjoy warm sea, or I can go to the mountainous forest and enjoy BBQ or collect mushrooms.

I like beautiful nature a lot. It’s why Yalta makes me feel happy. There are a lot of different kinds of trees: palms, cactuses, bamboos, flowers, animals and etc. There is a big Botanical Garden where the academic staff cultivates plants. For example, this year there are 250 types of tulips and 1000 bulbs cultivated by academic employees.

In Yalta dolphinarium I can swim with dolphins all year. That makes me feel extremely happy! Dolphins are very intelligent animals. They treat people like animals. I went riding horses in the forest when I lived in Yalta. I have never forgotten that happy time.

In summer time in Yalta, everybody has a lot of choices of water attractions. I like swimming and riding water scooters so much. In Yalta, I can fly with a parachute over the Black Sea. So swimming in the sea, flying with a parachute and riding a water scooter in the Black Sea makes me feel happy. Diving by the Black Sea makes me feel happy also!

I like to eat fresh vegetables and fruits. There are a lot of different kinds of fruits and vegetables all year.

Yalta is a unique place with a warm, Mediterranean climate all year. In summer, has very warm weather, which averages + 950 Fahrenheit. In winter time it is usually around + 41-500 Fahrenheit. The climate helps prevent different kinds of disease because there are effects from the sea breeze and warm climate at the same time.

That one makes me feel happy also because I have more energy over there. I like the warm climate, especially when in winter time you can even swim in the Black Sea. I used to swim in winter time in Yalta which made me feel healthy and extremely happy!

THE REASONS I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES

By Alla Yakush I came to the United States two months ago. I came to the United States because my daughters live here. I have seven grandchildren and want to live together. Another reason I came to the United States is to find a better life for me and my children. I like living in the United States.

THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY COUNTRY

By Mykola Yakush I came to the United States two months ago. I like living in the United States, but there are some things I miss about my country. One thing I miss about my country is my friends. I have good friends in the Ukraine, but I don’t see them now because I

58 live here. Our children live here and they asked to live near them so we came.

Another thing I miss about my country is the many fields on which to grow things like wheat, corn, and sunflowers. I miss growing things. I really enjoy living in the United States, but I hope to be able to visit my country soon so that I can walk through the streets of my hometown. It seems we will not be able to forget our hometown.

UZBEKISTAN

BUKHARA CITY - WHERE I FEEL THE HAPPIEST

By Mahuba Saidova My name is Mahbuba Saidova, and I’m from Uzbekistan. I was born in Bukhara, which is a very beautiful and ancient city. Bukhara is one of the historical centers of Uzbekistan, which was situated on the Great Silk Road for more than two thousand five hundred years.

When I graduated from high school, I enrolled in Economic College in Bukhara, where I studied economics and management. A few years later, I graduated from that college. The same year I graduated, I found a job at a big company that exported cotton to other countries. I worked there for eight years as an economist. In 2009, my husband and I opened our own photo studio. We used to take pictures of children at schools, kindergartens and kids’ parties. It is a very interesting job, and I like taking pictures.

In 2016, my family and I moved to the USA and have been residing in Olympia ever since. Olympia welcomed us with very beautiful nature and amazing people.

WE ALL LOVE OLYMPIA! My husband and I have four children, three daughters and one son. All of us enjoy traveling. My family’s hobby is to go fishing and bicycling and to play basketball.

I started learning English about three years ago. Right now, I’m a student in an ESL level 5/6 class at SPSCC. I know three languages: Russian, Uzbek and Farsi. I can use computer programs: Word, Excel, Photoshop, Lightroom, etc. My goal is to learn English as soon as I can, so I can start taking college classes in order to get a degree.

59

VIETNAM

UZBEKISTAN / VIETNAM

SAIGON IS A BEAUTIFUL CITY Anonymous Saigon, Vietnam, is a beautiful city. It’s hot all year long, and it rains a lot in summer. Saigon is the city I grew up in. I left Saigon after I finished high school. I have lived in United States for 26 years. I have gone back to visit Saigon a few times.

It has changed a lot. I can’t recognize some of the streets. Lots of high buildings were built and the traffic is really bad.

I would like to come back in wintertime. It’s still hot but not as bad as summer.

From Vietnam, you can travel to Thailand, China, Korea, Singapore and Indonesia. It is only a couple of hours to fly to those countries. I have traveled to Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia. My next vacation trip is Saigon.

THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY COUNTRY Anonymous I live at Kien Giang Province in Vietnam. Everyone is very good and helps each together, they are always smiling when meeting. Festival Run Boat begins in October.

The boats run on a river and there are many people who go to see it.

The Vietnamese foods are very much and delicious: pho, BBQ, coffee, etc.

Nature is very beautiful and famous: Ha Long Bay, PhuQuoc Island. You can travel to many places to visit and take pictures. The weather is very hot and there are many motorcycles that run on the street so traffic is busy. I always remember my friends in Vietnam.

THINGS ABOUT AMERICAN LIFE THAT I LIKE Anonymous Hi. I am from Vietnam. My family is in Vietnam, one sister is now in California.

I have lived in the USA for eight months and I live in Lacey, Washington. I have a good job. I live here with my wife and my son. I cook at a restaurant. It is Pho Lewis.

THE REASON WHY I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES Anonymous Why do people want to immigrate to the United States? This is an interesting question. In some other countries, people don’t have civil rights. They can’t talk about the government. In addition, if children are born in poor families, they don’t have enough money, and their children can’t go to school. So, many people want to

60 immigrate to the United States because they want more freedom, good healthcare, and good education for their life.

First of all, many people immigrate to the United States because they want freedom. In the US, they have freedom of speech; the government doesn’t censor or restrict what they have to say. The news and social media are not controlled by the government. In addition, they can learn about religious freedom. They have the freedom to attend church, a temple, a mosque or nothing at all.

Secondly, many people immigrate to the United States because they want good healthcare. They have Medicare for senior immigrants and senior citizens. Moreover, they still have Medicare for disabilities.

Finally, many people immigrate to the United States because they want a good education. In the US, they have public school from kindergarten to high school, and their children can go to school for free. After high school, they can get a scholarship from the government to go to college or university.

All in all, many people want to immigrate to the United States because they have more liberty, good healthcare, and good teaching. So, they have more opportunities to change their family’s life.

THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY COUNTRY Anonymous I miss many things about Vietnam. I miss my mom and dad and my two brothers and sister. I miss them every day. When we lived in Vietnam, my dad took care of my son. I miss seeing my dad with my son. I also miss the weather in Vietnam.

It is hot and I like the heat. Another thing that I miss is the delicious food. I hope I will be able to visit Vietnam next year.

THE REASONS I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES Anonymous I came to the United States twelve years ago. I came to the United States because I wanted better opportunities for my family. Life in Vietnam was a struggle.

Another reason I came to the United States is for my children. They will have a better life here. I love living in the United States.

THE REASON I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES Anonymous Have you thought about why people move to the United States? I’m an immigrant from Vietnam; I have lived in the United States for almost 4 years. I moved to the United States because I want my children to have the best education, I want to

61

VIETNAM

live in a country where there are many freedoms and human rights, and I want to live in a clean environment.

First, I came to the United States because I want my children to have the best education. The United States has one of the best education systems in the world.

They have good teaching techniques and the teachers are willing to help their students. The students can be creative and they don’t have to depend on their teacher’s ways. Especially, the universities in the U.S. are very famous in the world, such as Harvard, Stanford, and Yale. Besides, education is the most priority of the U.S. government.

Second, the people in the United States have a lot of civil liberties and freedoms. Their constitutional rights include freedom of religion, speech, press, and assembly. Many countries in the world still don’t give their citizens these rights. That’s why I chose to come to the United States, so I can have all the basic human rights that I would not have in my old country.

Last but not least, I would be able to live in a clean and healthy environment.

The U.S. has more clean air and clean water than most of the countries in the world.

They also have laws that protect natural forests and wildlife. In addition, there are many national parks in order to preserve the nation’s landscapes.

Finally, the United States is a great place to live in and reside. I decided to come here so my children and I can access the best education, I can have all the basic human rights and equalities, and I can live well in a clean and healthy environment. Different people come to the United States for many reasons, but whatever the reasons are, we all want to have a better life and a brighter future for the next generations.

BECOME A SUCCESSFUL STUDENT

By Tia Hoang What makes a successful student? There are some factors to become a good student. A successful student has to prepare everything carefully before the class, make many questions to ask yourself and your professor, and communicate well with your classmates.

First, preparing everything before the class is the most important thing. That means you have to do homework at home. On one hand, you show up ready for the class. On the other hand, you can review the old lesson. In addition, you should take notes that you don’t know or understand when you are doing homework. That helps you remember everything you’ve learnt. Last but not least, you had better preview the new lessons that helps you feel more confident and really ready for class. For example, when I do my homework, I will check everything to makes sure everything is good. Then I preview the new lesson, so I will know what is going on the class.

62 Second, having a good habit of asking questions is necessary to be a successful student. When you make questions that helps you figure out if something is clear or unclear. It also helps you realize the differences and difficulties when you are studying. For example, the professor gives me a sentence “Does anybody know why she is laughing?” I will ask myself why the verb is put behind the pronoun in the question, and then I will find out the answer. If I don’t know the answer, I will take notes and ask my professor. In addition, the more questions you make, the more knowledge you have and understand.

Finally, communicating well with your classmates and your professor is a great way to be a successful student. You can improve your listening and speaking skills by talking and listening. Moreover, this is a good way to feel confident to speak. The more you talk, the more confident you feel. In addition, sharing experiences with each other helps you find out the best way to become a successful student. For example, students work on an editing homework. We have to find out some mistakes. If I know the mistakes, I can share that with my classmates or tell them my opinion by sharing our experience in that way we can easily understand.

A successful student always wants to achieve an awesome accomplishment, so being ready for the classes, practicing speaking English even more, and making lots of questions are imperative to succeed. If you want to be a successful student, let’s try now.

MY LIFE

By Tam Huynh I am from Vietnam. I moved to the United States seven months ago. I live in Olympia with my family. I have two children - one boy and one girl. They are studying English as a Second Language, too. In my free time, I like to cook and watch TV. On my days off, I always clean my house and cook food for my family. I like my house, and I like living in the United States.

MY FAMILY

By Gia Lam My name is Gia. I’m from Vietnam. I live in the USA. I have a family and go to work in Hardel. I study English with my kids. I like to live in the USA because there is freedom.

63

VIETNAM

LUNAR NEW YEAR IN VIETNAM

By Kim Ngan My name is Kim, and I am from Vietnam. I miss a lot of things in my country. I came to the United States about four months ago, and I miss my family, culture, foods, ad special traditions in Vietnam. I want to tell you all about the tradition of Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year.

Tet is the most important and popular national holiday festival in Vietnam. Tet takes place from the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar (from late January or early February) until at least the third day of the month.

Many people prepare for Tet by cooking special foods, cleaning their house, and buying the flowers to decorate their house. There are a lot of customs when visiting a person’s house on the first day of the New Year. They wish New Year's greetings and give lucky money or a present to children.

Tet is also an occasion for family members’ reunions. They share about their job, joy, and experience, forgetting the troubles of the past year and hoping for a better upcoming year.

Vietnamese believe that the colors red and yellow will bring good fortune in the new year. And there are so many activities during the Tet holiday. All of these customs are to celebrate Tet in Vietnam. If you want to experience this Vietnamese national holiday, just come to Vietnam.

MY ENGLISH CLASS

By Duyen Nguyen My name is Duyen Nguyen. I am from Vietnam. My country has tropical weather. I have been living in the United States for nineteen months. I want to improve everything in English like reading, writing, listening and speaking to hear and understand people.

Here I have a passionate teacher. She is a young and enthusiastic teacher. I have met many friends from around the world. They are very friendly and sociable. For example, Svitlana is from Ukraine, Ramona, Victor, Lilia, and Nati are from Mexico.

Bruna is from Brazil, Ladarat is from Thailand, Kohta is from Japan, and there are even more students. I not only study English, but I also learn many other things in lessons like culture, medical information, education, law, and life skills which help me integrate.

I will try hard to be able to hear the news, read stories, watch movies, travel, and do many other things that require English.

64 A SPECIAL TRADITION OR HOLIDAY FROM MY COUNTRY

By Kim Quyen Nguyen In Vietnam, Lunar New Year or Tet is an important holiday. Tet is a cultural tradition of Vietnam. It looks like American New Year, but Vietnamese celebrate at a different time. In my country, people usually prepare for Tet about 2 or 3 weeks.

Everything must be clean and new. Most houses prepare flowers, fruits, cakes, and many delicious foods. Especially there must be watermelons, “Banh Chung”, “Banh Tet”, and jam. Jam in my country is made from carrots, coconuts, and ginger.

Everybody doesn’t work or go to school on Tet holiday. Everyone in the family usually comes back to their parents’ home. I miss my country and memories of Tet there. I wish I could return to Vietnam on New Year’s Day every year.

MY LIFE

By Ngoc Nguyen When I was 1 year old, my family had some trouble, but I can’t remember it. I just knew they divorced and then I just lived with my mom. I didn’t see my father for a long time because he had a new family. My mom took care of me alone so I love her very much. She is very strong. Some time later my father asked me “Do you want have a new life in America with me?”. I thought a lot about it. I didn’t want to leave my mom because she was always with me, but she wanted me have to a better life. She talked with me and said when I am stable, I can pick her up to come with me to the U.S. I thought would be a good plan. And now I have an independent life here.

Everything is good with me. Now I have car, a job and I can study English. I will have a trip to Vietnam this year because I miss my mom.

MY FAMILY

By Nhung Nguyen My name is Nhung. I am from Vietnam. I have two children. I and my children have lived in America 15 months. I miss my country. I think that it is beautiful. I like all the foods in my country. I miss my family and friends. I want to go to Vietnam, but I think for my children. I want my children to live here because there is freedom.

I think that is good for my children. That is very nice studying for my children.

THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY COUNTRY

By San Nguyen Hi! My name is San Nguyen. I was born in 1956 in Tay Ninh, Vietnam. My family has all 9 brothers, 7 sons, and 2 daughters. My brothers and sisters are 2 years apart. My sister and two brothers went to settle in Boston, USA, in the state of

65

VIETNAM

Massachusetts. In 2015, I also went to settle in San Jose, California. I lived in California for a year and then moved to live in Washington State Olympia city. I have been living in the US for 4 years now and I am working at a restaurant in Lacey.

Time will never come back, I recall the days in Vietnam with daily work. After hard working days, on holidays we often travel in remote places, such as in Da Lat or Nha Trang. During each trip, we can relax to make the spirit less stressful; and return to our daily work. My country has an s-shaped map divided into 3 regions, north, central, and south. In the north, there is the Hung King, the central has Huong Mountain Ngu, the south has Mekong River Delta. My country is an agricultural country with vast fields. People are peaceful with majestic landscapes. In my free time, I miss my hometown.

MY CITY

By Thu Tran I was born and grew up in Ho Chi Minh City, or it is also called Saigon. Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam, but it is not the capital of Vietnam. It is crowded and a lot of people live there. Saigon is famous for skyscrapers and crowded malls. People love shopping, so every weekend the malls are always full the shoppers. The life style here is very fast and hurried but people try to spend free time in the evening hanging out around the streets. Saigon at night is very beautiful, people love to gather in the coffee shops or sit along the streets. My friends and I always hang out in the evening and we find many different places to eat. Saigon is also famous for delicious food. I like street food and visitors do, too. I love my city.

66

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Abdulahi, Shukri – Shukri lives in Lacey and works at home. She likes to cook and to learn English. She came to the United States in 2009. Shukri likes to help people.

Aishah – Aishah has lived in the U.S. since 2017. She has been studying English for two years. She lives in Olympia.

Alvarez, Gloria – Gloria lives in Tumwater. She doesn’t have work. She has been studying ESL for one year. She has lived in the USA since 2003.

Alvarez, Luis – Luis lives in Lacey, WA. He’s a roofer and he likes to play soccer. He has been studying English for 6 months and he has lived in the United States for 12 years.

An, Lizhi – Lizhi comes from China. She has lived in Olympia for two years. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and growing flowers and vegetables.

Antara – Antara is from Bangladesh and lives in Olympia. She has lived in the United States for two and a half years. She works in a local store as a cashier.

Bahena, Eliazin – Eliazin lives in Yelm, WA. He has lived in the United States for 23 years. He works in construction.

Brien, Giselle – Giselle is from Brazil. She has lived in Olympia for two years. She is married and has two children.

Calderon, Heidi – Heidi came from El Salvador in 2014. She lives in Lacey and works in cleaning restaurants. She likes Salvadoran food and she has been studying for 4 quarters. She enjoys spending time with her family.

Campos, Sandra – Sandra is married and lives in Lacey. She works as a nanny and has been studying English for 3 months. Sandra has lived in the US for 1 year.

Constantia, Cindy – Cindy is from Indonesia and lives in Lacey. She moved to the United States with her husband. She started studying English in elementary school, and she loves it. That’s why she’s taking ESL classes this quarter.

Cornejo, Fatima – Fatima lives in Olympia. She is a homemaker. She likes to cook, exercise and travel. She has been living in the USA since 2001, and now she is studying English at SPSCC.

67

Coronado, Liliana – Liliana lives in Lacey and is a housewife. She has lived in the US for 2 years and 4 months.

Coronado, Luis – Luis lives in Lacey and is a countertop installer. He likes to play soccer with his children at the high school but not too much. He has lived in the United States for four months.

Cruz, Naty – Naty lives in Olympia and works at New Moon Cooperative café. She likes to run and dance. She has been studying English for a year and a half. She has lived in the United States for two years.

Dal Pozzo, Maria Chiara – Maria Chiara is from Italy and lives in Olympia. She has been here for seven months and hopes to stay longer. She loves reading, watching movies and TV series, going to the gym, and visiting new places. She has been studying English for more than thirteen years, but she thinks that she has really started to study it this year.

Darrin, Rose – Rose has been living in Olympia for almost three years. She loves spring and summer in Olympia for its beautiful natural colors. She is from Jalisco, Mexico. Jalisco is the home place of the most representative things of Mexico, such as tequila, mariachi, charreria, the tapatio dance, and many typical dishes like tortas ahogadas, birria, churros, menudo Jalicience, and pozole tacos.

Darvich, Erik – Erik has lived in Olympia since July 2017. He is learning to speak English at SPSCC. He likes skiing and swimming.

Dominguez, J.A. – J.A. lives in Lacey with his family, at his cousin’s house. His work is the installation of countertops. He’s an installer. He likes his job because he makes people happy. He has a lot of happy customers. He has been studying English for two months. He has lived in the United States for two years.

Dungan, Maryann – Maryann lives in Tumwater. She retired as a hair stylist. She likes to do oil painting and gardening. She started learning English in January of 2019. She has lived in the USA since 1976 off and on.

Dzanserikova, Irina – Irina lives in Olympia with her family. She doesn’t work, but she studies English in college. She wants to be a dental assistant. She has been in the U.S. for almost 9 months. Her hobby is skiing. Her kids like to ski, too. She likes to spend time with her kids.

Easter Tellez, Carolina – Carolina is from Colombia. She moved to Olympia in 2015.

Her goals are to improve her English and her lifestyle. She has been taking English classes for around a year.

68 Elkacmi, Khadija – Khadija lives in Olympia. She is a homemaker. She likes to cook, drive and travel. She has been studying English for one month. She has lived in the USA for 6 months. She would love to be a nurse someday.

Elvir, Cristina M. – Cristina is from Honduras and has lived in Olympia since 2007.

Currently, she takes care of her children and studies English at SPSCC. She likes to spend time with her kids and take them to different classes. She has been studying English for one year.

Eksioglu, Yildiz – Yildiz lives in Olympia with her family. She came to the U.S.A. five months ago. Living here is a new experience for them. She does not work. She likes cooking and gardening. She has been studying English for one month. She hopes she will learn English and will have a job and a great life.

Esteban, Rosa – Rosa is from Guatemala. She likes to do sports and spends time with her family. She has been studying English for one year.

Fernandez, Isaura – Isaura lives in Olympia, Washington. She was born in Mexico where she graduated as a biochemical engineer and obtained her master's degree in science. Currently, Isaura works as Spanish teacher and state-certified caregiver. She is enrolled in ESL at SPSCC. She likes spending time with her sons and playing music.

She has been in the US for one year.

Florez, Natalia – Natalia is from Colombia. She has lived in the U.S. since September 2018.

Fu, Shuang – Shuang comes from China. She has lived in Olympia for six years. In her free time, she likes to watch TV, read books, and play games with her children.

Fu, Yeqi (Kiki Fu) – Kiki is from China. She has been in the United States for four years and now lives in Olympia. She opened an online store and sells her own handmade jewelry. She has studied English for three quarters at SPSCC. Gao, Lilian – Lilian Gao is from China. She has been living in Olympia since 2007. She has been studying English at SPSCC since September 2018.

Grizzle, Sun – Sun lives in Lacey and is a housewife. She has been studying English for 2 years and has lived in the US for 33 years.

Hayama, Kohta – Kohta came to the United States from Japan two months ago. He wants to learn English to help his business career.

Hoang, Tia – Tia is from Vietnam. She has been studying English for two years and has been living in the United States for almost two years. She wants to become a social worker so she can help people in the Vietnamese community here who can’t

69

speak English. She is trying her best to learn to speak and write English fluently to be able to help them.

Holzbachova, Eliska – Eliska is living in Tumwater and has been here for five months.

She’s been studying English for 13 years. She likes to go hiking and do winter and collective sports.

Huynh, Tam – Tam comes from Vietnam. She has been living in Olympia for seven months. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, watching TV, and reading books.

Inoue, Shota – Shota lives in Olympia and has been here for four months. He’s found that Japanese food in Olympia is completely different from Japanese food in Japan.

Shota likes to exercise at the gym. He would like to transfer to a university after he finishes at SPSCC. Itehua-Itehua, Cristina – Cristina comes from Mexico. She has lived in Olympia for nine years. She likes to watch TV, go to the park, and walk.

Ji, Xiaoshan – Xiaoshan is a new international student. She is from Ningxia Province, China.

Jiménez, Mariuxi – Mariuxi is from Ecuador. She is 43 years old. She lives in Olympia with her family. She has two boys. She likes painting and writing poems.

Kamolned, Akadech – Akedech lives in Olympia. He is a monk. He likes to do meditation with other monks. He has been studying English since high school. He has lived in the United States for ten months.

Kasugai, Taiga – Taiga lives in Japan. He worked a part time job at McDonalds in Japan. He likes to listen to music and watch movies. He’s been studying English since 2018.

Kim, Grace – Grace is from Korea. She lives in Lacey. She is a homemaker and takes care of her two daughters. She likes to listen to praise songs and play the piano. She has been studying English for two years, and she has lived here since May 2016.

Lal Shrestha, Kishor Chandra – Kishor lives in Lacey, Washington. He works at Ostram’s Mushroom Farm. He likes watching TV. He has been studying in ESL class for one month. He has lived in the USA for three years.

Lam, Gia – Gia lives in Lacey, WA and works for the Hardel Corporation. He has been studying English for two months.

Lee, Chaeryeon – Chaeryeon is from Korea and lives in Tumwater. She’s been here for nine months. She likes to do extreme sports like paragliding, hiking, climbing, and

70 scuba diving. Chaeryeon loves to learn about new cultures and to communicate with people from other cultures. In the future, she wants to be a flight attendant who serves people with love.

Lee, Sowon – Sowon is from South Korea. She lives in Lacey with her host family. She has lived here for five months. She has been studying English for five months too. She is trying to improve her English skills by watching movies in English and listening to pop songs. She is going to get a transfer degree and hopes to go to Washington State University. After graduating, she wants to be a biomedical engineer.

Lee, Yong – Lee lives in Lacey and is retired. When she retired she decided she had time to learn English. She has been in the US for 33 years.

Lehenbauer, Miyuki – Miyuki is from Japan. She moved the U.S. in spring, 2011 after Japan had a big earthquake. She lives in Olympia with her American husband. She has been studying English since January 2018. Her English is improving step by step and she feels better than ever.

Liangbamrung, Rattana – She lives in Lacey and she works at a Thai restaurant. She likes to go shopping with her mom and snow tube at Snoqualmie pass. She has been studying ESL at SPSCC from level 1 and is now in Level 4.

Ligasan, Maria Lovie C. – Maria is from the Philippines. She has been studying English for about one year. She volunteers at Eastside Co-Op as a grocery stocker and enjoys writing movie scripts in her free time. She lives in Olympia, WA. Lin, Liumei – Liumei lives in Olympia. She doesn’t work. She likes to listen to music.

She has been studying English for about 4 years. She has been living in the USA for 12 years.

Lopez, Sary – Sary is from Colombia. She lives in Olympia and has been studying English since at SPSCC since 2018. She likes to play the piano and spend time outside with her family. Sary has been living in the U.S. for seventeen years.

Lozano, Isabel – Isabel lives in Olympia. She likes to swim. She has been studying English for six months. She has lived in the United States for 29 years.

Manguna, Janet – Janet comes from Congo. She has lived in Olympia for less than one year. In her free time, she likes to read and cook.

Matias-Pablo, Miriam – Miriam lives in Shelton. She works at Care Net Pregnancy Center of Mason County. She likes to sing, to help people translate and go shopping.

She has been studying English for two and a half years.

71

Mejia, Xavier – Xavier lives in Olympia. He is a general contractor. He likes to play soccer and fish. He is studying English in SPSCC for three quarters. He has lived in the United States for 12 years. He likes to live in the USA because it is a good life.

Mejia, Yasny – Yasny lives in Olympia, WA. She likes to cook. She works at a Japanese restaurant in Olympia. She has been in the United States for 2 years. She still has a lot to accomplish in her life, but she tries to be happy with what she has.

Mendoza, Alejandra – Alejandra lives in Olympia. She is a student. She likes to exercise. She has been studying English for one month. She has been living in the United States for 10 years.

Mendoza, Arcadio – Arcadio wants to learn perfect English. He has be in the United States for 10 years, and lives in beautiful Yelm.

Miyamoto, Kotaro – Kotaro is from Japan and came to the U.S. in March 2018. He likes to dance and take pictures. He’s been studying English for four years.

Mohamed, Alromesa – Alromesa lives in Tumwater. She is a student. She likes to go to the park with her children and cook. She has been studying English for three quarters. She has lived in the United States for fifteen years.

Negash, Abinet – Abinet is from Ethiopia. He lives in Olympia. He studies English five days a week.

Ngan, Kim – Kim lives in Olympia, Washington. She is studying English at SPSCC. She likes travelling, listening to music, and reading. She has studied English for one quarter and has lived in the United States for 5 months.

Nguyen, Duyen – Duyen is from Vietnam. Her family has a vocational school where she helps to manage everything. She has been studying English for one year and has lived in the US for two years.

Nguyen, Kim Quyen – Kim lives in Lacey. She’s a manicurist. She likes to beautify and make everyone happy. She has been studying English about 7 months. She has lived in the United States for 1 year.

Nguyen, Ngoc – Ngoc has lived in Olympia for about nine months. She likes sleeping all the time. She has been studying English for 8 months.

Nguyen, Nhung – Nhung lives in Olympia, WA and works as a nail technician. She likes living in the US and has been studying English for four months.

72 Nguyen, San – San lives in Olympia. He is a student. He likes to sing and to work in his garden. He has been studying English for two quarters. He has lived in the United States for four years.

Novicihina, Lana – Lana is from Russia. She has lived in the U.S. for two years. This is her first year of studying English.

Nunez, Veronica – Veronica lives in Shelton. She is a housewife and has been studying English for 1 year. She has lived in the US for 18 years.

Nzohabonayo, Jeanine – Jeanine is African. She hasn’t a job. She likes to study English. She has been studying English for 3 months. She has lived in the United States for 2 months.

Olivia – Olivia lives in Lacey. She is a homemaker who likes to read. She’s been studying English about eight years and has been living in the United States for seven years.

Orozco, Isaid – Isaid is from Santa Marta, Colombia. He’s an international student at SPSCC. He studied law in Colombia for five years. He came to the U.S. in September 2018. He’s studying English now.

Ortuste, Fanny – Fanny lives in Olympia. She is retired. She likes exercising at the gym and going to the library. She has studied English for 2 years. She has lived in the United States since 1976. She is happy to live in this country because it is the best country in the world.

Ozkara, Jemal – Jemal was born in 1985 in the city of Ashgabat, Turkemenistan. She moved to the USA in 2017. She’s divorced and has one daughter. She lives in Tumwater, WA. She likes to live there and loves to play with her daughter. They love to go swimming.

Pak, Deog – Deog has been studying English at SPSCC for three years. She is very interested in studying English. When she has free time, Deog likes to do calligraphy, brush painting Chinese characters.

Park, Jung Hee – Jung Hee is a homemaker and lives in Lacey, WA. She has just begun to study English.

Patterson, Svitlana – Svitlana lives in Rochester, Washington. She has worked as a cake decorator in a local store for 12 years. In her free time, she does photography. She likes to capture a moment with her camera. She has been studying English for 2 years but has spoken it for 12 years. She has lived in the US for 13 years.

Perilla, Ascencion – Ascencion comes from Colombia. She has lived in Olympia for five years. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, crocheting, and cooking.

73

Ponce, Celia – Celia is from Honduras and lives in Lacey, WA with her family. She has been studying English for three months. She enjoys cooking Mexican food.

Radzimirska, Genowefa – Genowefa is from Poland and now lives in Olympia, WA. Rajkarnikar, Shakuntala – Shakuntala is from Nepal and lives in Lacey, WA. She is a homemaker. She has been studying English for five months and enjoys it very much.

Reyes, Eduardo – Eduardo is from El Salvador. He lives in Centralia, WA. He has no job. He likes to walk and visit new places. He is a student at SPSCC and has been studying English for a year. He has been in the United States for 3 years.

Reyes-Oropeza, Elena – Elena has lived in Shelton since 1991 with her family. She’s a Zumba instructor, and she has her own business—a grocery store in Shelton, WA. She has been studying English for 6 months at SPSCC. Rojas, Lilia – Lilia lives in Yelm, Washington. She is a self-employed house re-modeler and house cleaner. She has attended ESL class for about a year and half over the past 23 years.

Rovech, Mary – Mary is from Cambodia. She likes to work and cook. She is working for a care provider, and she is taking care of a disabled person.

Saidova, Mahbuba – Mahbuba lives in Olympia. Right now, she is not working because she has a baby. She likes knitting for her children and herself. She started learning English about three years ago. She and her family have lived in the US since 2016.

Sato, Wei – Wei has lived in Olympia for two years. She likes to do yoga and cook. She has been studying English for one year.

Shin, Seung Cheol (Steve) – Steve is from South Korea. He has lived in the U.S.A. for 2 months. He has been studying English at SPSCC for 5 weeks. His hobbies are cooking and traveling.

Silvia – Silvia is from Mexico and lives in Shelton. She has lived in the United States for fifteen years. She does wreath design during the Christmas season. Silvia likes to play volleyball, go to the gym, and spend time with her family. Silvia has been studying English for two years.

So, Monika – Monika is from Cambodia. She lives in Lacey and works cleaning in Olympia. She came to the US to take care of her mother. Monika has been studying English for 1 year.

74 So, Shirley – Shirley is from Singapore. She is a homemaker and she likes to study. She has lived in the United States for two years. She has been studying English for two years.

Soem, Likar – Likar lives in Lacey and works cleaning in Olympia. She has lived in the US for 8 years.

Somina, Olga – Olga is from Ukraine. She has lived in the USA four and a half years.

She lives in Shelton. She is self-employed, and she cleans residential houses. She likes to listen to relaxing music, meditate, swim and ride horses. She has been studying English at SPSCC since 2018.

Stewart, Helen T. – Helen lives in Olympia. She is a homemaker who wants to have a small business someday. Helen has been studying English for a long time but she started studying English at SPSCC last quarter. She has lived in the U.S. for over fifteen years.

Taira, Momo – Momo is from Japan. She lives in Lacey and doesn’t work. She likes to play the guitar, talk with people and travel. She has studied English since high school, and she has lived here for about one month. She came to the U.S. to study English and get experience as a volunteer. After studying here for nine months, she will go to Nepal to volunteer for three months. She is very interested in giving support to poor and powerless people.

Toda, Takuya – Takuya is from Japan. He lives in Olympia. He doesn’t have a job. He likes to watch baseball games and learn English grammar. He has been studying English for two years. He has lived in the United States for one month.

Tomas-Gaspar, Mario – Mario lives in Shelton. He works at a laundry mat in Tumwater and has been studying English for 7 months. He has been in the US for 14 months.

Tomas-Pedro, Nicholas – Nicholas works in a laundry in Tumwater. He also has his own landscaping business. Nicholas has been studying English for 9 months. He has lived in the US for 4 years.

Torres, Patricia – Patricia is a Colombian dentist. She has lived in the United States for two years and has been studying English at SPSCC for three quarters. She works in a naturopathy clinic right now. In the future, she would like to volunteer in a dental clinic because she wants to improve her English skills and learn the dental vocabulary used in the English language. One day, she would like to practice her profession as a dentist here in the United States.

75

Tran, Thu – Thu lives in Olympia. She is a student. She wants to be a veterinary doctor, so she has to improve her English. She has been studying English since 2010.

She has lived in the United States for about seven months.

Valdez, Gricelda – Gricelda lives in Lacey and works cleaning businesses. She has lived in the US for 19 years and has studied English for 3 months.

Valdez, Jennifer – Jennifer has lived in Lacey, WA since December 2018. She works and studies English. Among other things, she likes to listen to music and read.

Velazquez, Eloisa – Eloisa is from Mexico. She lives in Olympia, WA and works in a beauty salon. She enjoys traveling very much.

Wang, Nick – Nick is from China. He is living in Tumwater. He likes to play video games. He has studied since he was eight years old. He has lived in the United States for eight months.

Wang, Chiu Hsiung (William) – William was born in Taiwan, and now he lives in Olympia. He was a businessman before his retirement. He has been studying English for 4 years. He likes swimming and studying English. He has lived in the U.S. for 5 years.

Wang, Xun – Xun comes from China. He has lived in Olympia for one year. In his free time, he enjoys watching TV, listening to music, and playing basketball.

Wutthimanop, Thanachai – Thanachai is from Thailand and lives with his mom. He works at the Jasmine Thai restaurant. He doesn’t have any children. He misses his country.

Yakush, Alla – Alla comes from the Ukraine. She has lived in Olympia for two months.

She likes to read, cook, and play with her grandchildren when she has free time.

Yakush, Mykola – Mykola comes from the Ukraine. He has lived in Olympia for two months. He likes to sing and draw in his free time.

Yan, Ying – Ying lives in Olympia with her family. She likes to clean the house and go shopping. She has been studying English for one month and has been in the United States for eight years.

Yang, Ai Hui – Ai Hui came to the United States eighteen years ago. She sometimes works at a restaurant. She is a cashier and waitress. She likes learning English with classmates. She hopes in the near future she will speak English very well.

Youk, Sophal – Sophal moved to the U.S. six years ago from Cambodia. He lives in Olympia and likes his job at Mr. Who Greens Corporation.

76 Yussuf, Fatuma – Fatuma lives in Lacey and is a housewife. Fatuma has a 3 year old son. She is from Kenya. Fatuma has only been in the US for 5 months. She is observing Ramadan right now.

Zavala, Angelica – Angelica is from Mexico and now lives in Lacey, WA with her sisters.

She enjoys learning English at SPSCC. Zhang, GuangHong – GuangHong has been living in the United States for almost four years and studying English for four years. She has had several jobs since she arrived in the USA and is currently a full-time student at the college. She plans to get a certificate in Health Information Technology Management and then get a job in a hospital or clinic. GuangHong likes to work in her garden and spend time with family on vacation.

Zhang, Junfen – Junfen lives in Olympia. She is a homemaker. She likes listening to music and doing housework. She has been studying English in ESL class since spring 2006. She has lived in the U.S. for 13 years.

Zheng, Liang – Liang has been in the United States for about four months. She started learning English in elementary school in China, and this is her first quarter at SPSCC. Liang likes to play online games.